Schedule for Mark Edwards Road bridge compressed by 2 months
GOLDSBORO – A state contractor plans to close the Mark Edwards Road bridge over Bear Creek in Wayne County on Monday, Feb. 3rd and begin a replacement project under an accelerated schedule.
The N.C. Department of Transportation and the contractor, Dane Construction Inc. of Mooresville, have compressed what would have been a six-month closure into a planned four month closure. The accelerated schedule was developed this week in response to concerns by the New Hope Fire Department about the closure’s impact to its service area.
“We listened to their valid concerns and developed a tighter schedule, which will rely on additional workers and subcontractors to complete this much-needed project,” said Kevin Bowen, the department’s Division 4 engineer.
The contractor will be eligible for up to $200,000 as an incentive for completing the project two months earlier than the original schedule. The original contract amount was $1.76 million.
The 70-year-old bridge that has become functionally obsolete for today’s traffic, and it requires more costly maintenance under temporary closures. The contractor will replace the two-lane bridge with a modern, three-lane structure.
In addition, the contractor will elevate the road between the bridge and its intersection with Parkstown Road, which is about 300 feet away. The contractor will also realign that intersection to improve sight-distance and visibility for drivers.
