SANDYFIELD – A Columbus County junction of two highways will be reconstructed into a bridge with ramps to boost safety and quicken travel.
A state highway contractor will build the interchange where N.C. 87 and N.C. 11 cross near Sandyfield, which is northwest of Wilmington. The project will carry N.C. 11 over N.C. 87, which will be widened to four lanes in this vicinity. On and off ramps will be built to connect the two highways.
The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded the $36 million contract to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. of Wilmington this week, The bid was the lowest among six proposals received for this project. Construction can begin this summer, and is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2026.
The contractor will build a new bridge over N.C. 87 while maintaining traffic on N.C. 11. After completion, traffic on N.C. 11 will be shifted onto the new bridge.
“This highway is an important corridor in southeastern North Carolina, and a popular route to area beaches," said Drew Cox, who oversees the department's Division 6 which will oversee the contract. “This interchange will vastly improve the safety, traffic flow and operation of this intersection."
The department made this location an all-way stop in 2017 to improve safety until this project could be designed, funded and constructed.