PENDER COUNTY — The N.C. Department of Transportation will allocate an estimated $472,000 to repair damaged concrete on a section of U.S. 117 that passes over I-40. The bridge is located approximately four miles north of Burgaw near Murray Town.
The state’s transportation department said work could begin in late March and is expected to be completed by October. Lauren Haviland, a spokesperson for the NCDOT, said impacts to daily traffic will include intermittent lane closures on both U.S. 117 and I-40, but there will be no road closures.
The project received priority amid a massive budget shortfall due to Covid-19 and recent hurricanes, since according to Haviland, the department’s revenues are on the rise.
“With more money, the department is constantly looking at projects and determining what can move ahead,” she said. “Projects are moving ahead all over the state, not just in this area.”
The department projected a $300-million budget shortfall for the 2019-2020 fiscal year “and significant financial impacts in the next fiscal year,” which ends June 30, according to an NCDOT release.
“The N.C. Department of Transportation relies on its funding from the Motor Fuels Tax, Highway Use Tax, and DMV fees. As North Carolinians worked to stop the spread of COVID-19, traffic volumes decreased significantly, greatly impacting the revenue streams that pay for our transportation system,” the department stated.
Improvements to the Pender County overpass will include repairing the bridge deck surface. More specifically, crews will pour a latex modified concrete overlay to replace failing concrete on the surface of the bridge deck, according to Haviland.
“This will prevent water infiltration in the future and assist in the prevention of spalling concrete during freeze thaw cycles,” Haviland said. “There will also be substructure repairs completed to areas of loose concrete on the girders and columns beneath the bridge. All of the work performed will assist in preserving and extending the service life of the structure.”
The total project is estimated at $926,000 and will include rehabilitation of a bridge in Duplin County. The state awarded the contract to Buckeye Bridge, LLC based in Canton.
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