RALEIGH - A $3
million contract has been awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation to
improve 10 bridges over I-85 between Durham and Oxford. Taylor & Murphy
Construction Company Inc. of Asheville was the low bidder for work on eight
bridges in Granville County and two in Durham County.
Preservation work is scheduled in Granville County for bridges on:
- Gate #2 (Exit 189);
- N.C. 56 (Exit 191);
- U.S. 15 (Exit 202);
- N.C. 96 (Exit 204);
- U.S. 158 (Exit 206);
- Brogden Road;
- Smith Road; and
- Bryans Hill Road.
The work in Durham County will involve bridges on East Club Blvd. (Exit
179) and Glenn School Road (Exit 180) in the northern part of the county.
The work will include the removal of deteriorated deck surface concrete
and rebar corrosion from the bridges by hydrodemolition, the use of
high-powered water jets. That will be followed by the placement of latex-modified
concrete on the bridge deck. It reduces infiltration of water and salt below
the roadway surface, extending the life of the pavement longer than regular
concrete, and improving the ride quality for motorists. It is also sets and
hardens faster, allowing for a quicker re-opening of a bridge than typical
concrete. There will also be some structural repairs, and cleaning and painting.
This type of project is a way to extend the life of a bridge, and is
done at a cost significantly lower than continually repairing or even replacing
the bridge. It's part of the NCDOT's $430 million bridge plan for 2011-12,
which calls for preservation, repairs or replacement of 450 bridges statewide.
Work on the project can start between June 1 and Oct. 1, and is
scheduled to be finished 42 weeks after the start date.
Because of the traffic volume on I-85, work will be done at night to
lessen the travel impact for motorists. No lane closures are allowed on I-85
between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11
a.m. and 9 p.m. on Sundays.
There will be times during the project that north or
southbound I-85, U.S. 15, U.S. 158, N.C. 96, N.C. 56, Gate #2 Road, East Club
Blvd. or Glenn School Road will need to be closed briefly because of the specific
type of work being done on the bridges. That can also only be done during overnight
or early weekend mornings, with a maximum closure time of 30 minutes. At the
end of that time, the closed road must be re-opened to allow all backed up
traffic to travel through the area.
This is one of 24 contracts worth $117.6 million awarded by Transportation
Secretary Gene Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina.
NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders. The bids received on the
projects awarded came in about 17.5 percent, or $25 million, below NCDOT
estimates.
Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has
awarded 599 highway contracts totaling $4.2 billion to ensure that all North
Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in
North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.
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