RALEIGH
-
N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary
Gene Conti has awarded a contract to preserve bridges in Ashe, Avery and Watauga
counties.
The
$1.6 million contract was awarded to Taylor & Murphy Construction Company
Inc. of Asheville. This work involves concrete overlay, deck replacement,
cleaning and painting structural steel and bearings, as well as substructure
repairs. The
work can start as early as May 1 and must be completed by Nov. 15. Traffic
will be maintained onsite with lane closures on all bridges except for the
bridge on Bethel Road over the Watauga River in Watauga County. During
construction of this bridge, U.S. 321 and Bethel Road will be utilized for the
detour route.The
following bridges will be preserved in Ashe County:
- On N.C. 16 north of Jefferson near Crumpler
over Old N.C. 16; and
- On N.C. 16 north of Jefferson near Crumpler
over Big Helton Road and Helton's Creek.
The
following bridge will be preserved in Avery County:
- On U.S. 19 near Ingalls over the North Toe
River.
The
following bridges will be preserved in Watauga County:
- On Bethel Road west of Boone near Kellersville
over the Watauga River; and
- On Bethel Road west of Boone near Kellersville
over Beaverdam Creek.
This
is one of 34 contracts totaling $130.8 million awarded by Conti for highway and
bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the
lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects
awarded came in about 1.4 percent, or $118.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.
Since
Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 575 highway
contracts totaling $4.1 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have
access to jobs and educational opportunities.
According
to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation
creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested
in transportation generates $6 in economic impact.