RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
Senator Elizabeth Dole Highway
A section of Interstate 85 now honors Salisbury native and public servant, Senator Elizabeth Dole.
About 2.5 miles of I-85 from near Jake Alexander Boulevard to Bringle Ferry Road in Salisbury are now signed as the “Senator Elizabeth Dole Highway,” recognizing her lifetime of service and leadership at the local, national and international levels.
Dole served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Labor, president of the American Red Cross, and as North Carolina’s first female U.S. Senator.
Hurricane Helene Update
NCDOT and its partners have selected two sites for extracting and storing material in the Pigeon River Gorge to help rebuild sections of Interstate 40 damaged by Hurricane Helene.
One site will be used to extract stone and a smaller, adjacent site will be used to store material taken from the larger site. The sites are just across the river near the I-40 damage.
The selection of these sites will reduce estimated construction costs and timelines compared to using rock materials from areas farther away.
Underwater Bridge Inspections
You may see NCDOT employees inspecting the state’s roads and bridges on your daily commute, but did you know they also have eyes underwater?
NCDOT’s underwater inspectors assess the structural integrity of bridges across the state so they stay safe for travel.
“Nobody thinks about it – but you can’t see what’s going on under water without actually going down there and putting your hands on it,” said Underwater Bridge Supervisor, Billy Mueller.
There are more than 4,200 structures statewide that need to be examined by the underwater inspectors, who share their findings with maintenance engineers to make any necessary repairs or improvements.