NCDOT to Begin Bridge Replacement Project in Catawba County

CHARLOTTE-- TheN.C. Department of Transportationwill replace abridge at 29th Avenue Northeast in Hickory, with construction starting as soon as Monday, March 30.

The bridge over Falling Creek in Catawba Countywill be replaced with a culvert. The existing bridge was built in 1954 and is considered functionally obsolete and structurally deficient. This means that although the bridge is safe for traffic, it was built to outdated design standards and needs to be replaced to keep up with current and future traffic demands.

An on-site detour will be built and traffic will be switched over to the detour route. Once traffic is on the new route, the existing bridge will be demolished and replaced with the culvert.

The $1.2 millionproject is scheduled for completion in May 2016. Country Boy Landscaping Inc. of Harmony is the project contractor.

For more details about the state's bridges, visit the NCDOT's bridge informationwebsite.