North Carolina Construction News staff writer
A construction project to extend the life of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge started this week and is expected to be completed in late May.
While the bridge has been deemed safe, it is reaching the end of its lifecycle and must be monitored, inspected and maintained frequently. Daily inspections of the steel vertical-lift bridge built in 1969 have shown the need for longer-lasting improvements.\
The contractor, Southern Road & Bridge LLC, was awarded the $7.1 million contract on Nov. 30 and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has incentivized the company to finish early, potentially earning an extra $500,000.
Work will include repairing the moveable grid deck and the beams, known as stringers, that support the structure.