WILMINGTON – A stretch of Interstate 140 East in Brunswick County is back open to traffic after the N.C. Department of Transportation made bridge repairs and performed an inspection of the structure.
On Saturday night, an NCDOT employee noticed an unusual bump on the eastbound I-140 bridge at the Cedar Hill Road exit. It was closed immediately for the safety of motorists, resulting in the multi-day shutdown of a section of the interstate.
An inspection on Sunday revealed a shift in metal plates between two of four girders.
NCDOT and contractors spent most of Monday bringing in necessary equipment to fix the issue.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, contractors lifted the span and reinstalled plates on the bridge. After it was lowered back into place, crews inspected the bridge again and determined structural elements, including the cap, columns and foundation, were sound. Traffic was then allowed back on the highway.