The popular Clayton River Walk on the Neuse greenway took a hit in October 2016 during Hurricane Matthew. The floodwaters picked up and damaged the greenway bridge near Marks Creek and the Charleston Drive access. Now the Town of Clayton has secured funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has obtained environmental and safety approvals at the state level, so we’re able to finally move forward to demolish and remove the old bridge and install a brand-new one.
Why did this take so long?
Unfortunately, because the Town didn’t build the bridge originally, and federal government dollars were pursued by the Town, there were layers that complicated a speedy replacement. The original bridge was not engineered to withstand great floods, so, for the sake of our popular and valuable greenway system, we demanded a design and build that will hopefully withstand future weather events to prevent this from happening again. The new, steel pre-fabricated bridge arrives in one piece around February 12th.
When is work beginning?
Homeowners along the greenway near Charleston will begin seeing surveying to mark the easement areas where crews, trucks and materials can begin accessing. You’ll also see crews putting up tree and stream protection fences, along with erosion control measures. All the work is weather dependent and the schedules may change.
How will the work affect homeowners?
Homeowners living directly near the Charleston Drive greenway access will see increased activity near their homes as this will be the main construction/staging area. At times, crews will need to use chainsaws and other heavy equipment to remove the damaged bridge and hoist in the new bridge. Dump trucks will be hauling out the old bridge beginning the week of January 15th. Again, crews will mark the public easements where they will focus their work and will be careful not to disturb private property.
How will the work affect trail use?
In the past, greenway users have been able to walk just to the side of the damaged bridge to connect to the other side of the trail, however, from January 8th through to the end of February, There will be no public access through the construction area. There will be fencing to keep people out of the work area and all users will be directed by signage to detour on public streets to meet back up with the greenway on the other side of the construction. The detour is 9/10th of a mile and would lead bicyclists, runners or hikers onto Charleston, Mantle, Mattingly and Sarazen Drive. See attached map.
Stacy Beard, Public Information Officer for the Town of Clayton thanked everyone for their continued patience as crews work to complete this long-awaited project.
