CHARLOTTE – Construction of a new bridge over Dutch Buffalo Creek north of Mount Pleasant will require intermittent lane closures on Monday, March 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting.
Contractor Dellinger, Inc. will set up a temporary lane closure on N.C. 49 North, using the area to stage trucks that will be delivering five bridge girders to the project. Once they arrive, traffic will be stopped temporarily in both directions so a crane can pick them up individually. Traffic will be allowed to proceed through once the girder is clear of the roadway. The contractor must wait for traffic in both directions to clear before work can continue.
The original bridge, built in 1946, is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, meaning it was built to design standards no longer used, such as narrower travel lanes.
The bridge also carries heavier traffic volumes, and needs to be replaced to meet current and future traffic demands, as N.C. 49 is a critical connector between Charlotte and Asheboro.
The new bridge will be built on an alignment just south of the existing bridge, so no offsite detour is needed during construction as traffic can be maintained on the existing bridge.
Construction started in February 2017 and should be complete in July.
Motorists are encouraged to pay attention when approaching the work zone, obey the posted speed limit, and allow extra time to reach their destinations safely.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.
Contact: Jen Thompson
jenthompson@ncdot.gov
(980) 523-0000