Last Updated on August 19, 2026 5:44 pm
Traffic on N.C. 105 will shift onto the newly constructed portion of the bridge over the Watauga River Monday night through the overnight hours, marking the most visible milestone yet in a bridge replacement project that has been underway for roughly four years. NCDOT Construction Engineer Ivan Dishman walked WataugaOnline.com through the traffic shift and the project's history during an on-site update on Wednesday.
Crews will pave, stripe, shift barriers, and switch traffic onto the new bridge section starting Monday night, with the work expected to wrap up by 6 a.m. Tuesday, weather permitting. Flagging operations will manage traffic through the overnight work. Drivers traveling N.C. 105 Tuesday morning should expect to be routed onto the new bridge alignment, with traffic shifted toward the inside of the curve.
Four years in the making. Construction on the bridge began in spring 2022, and the project has now been underway for approximately four years. Dishman said that with major slope stabilization work now complete, the project team expects more standard, predictable construction operations going forward.
Ground conditions that didn't match the plan. Much of the project's early delay traces back to ground conditions that differed significantly from initial projections, which had anticipated solid rock throughout the corridor. Instead, crews found soil that lacked the strength to hold the steep slopes originally planned for the project. To stabilize those slopes, crews installed soil nails paired with mesh systems. An alternative approach — flattening the slopes instead — was evaluated but would have required acquiring additional right-of-way and caused greater impact to nearby structures. The slope treatment work slowed the pace of excavation compared to standard rock removal.
Hurricane Helene's impact. Hurricane Helene added its own delay. Immediately after the storm, N.C. 105 was impassable, and the project's focus shifted from new construction to simply reopening the road. Wright Brothers Construction, the project's primary contractor, temporarily redirected its resources and spent several weeks repairing and restoring N.C. 105 before returning to bridge work. Dishman said most of the project's delays trace directly back to that emergency response effort, compounded by storm-driven supply chain disruptions that slowed the sourcing of aggregate and other construction materials.
What comes next. Once traffic has moved onto the new bridge section, crews will begin demolishing the remaining portion of the old bridge and constructing the remaining end and interior bents. Demolition is expected to start within a few weeks of the traffic shift and initial site preparation. From there, the project moves into setting beams, pouring the deck, and completing the bridge structure — work Dishman said is targeted for completion by late summer to early fall of next year. Winter conditions and low temperatures in the mountains restrict concrete pouring, curing, and deck paving, which factors into that timeline.
Traffic impact during Phase 2. Lane closures and manual flagging are expected to decrease significantly once traffic is fully shifted onto the new bridge section. No full closures of N.C. 105 are planned under normal conditions, though higher-level technical work — including tie-ins and deck pours — will continue throughout the next phase.
Remaining construction elements. Beyond the bridge structure itself, the project includes drainage work involving new pipes, drainage boxes, and curb and gutter sections, as well as construction of a median between the northbound and southbound lanes. A retaining wall is also being built on the Broadstone Road leg of the project to accommodate the additional width needed for turning lanes there. As a final step, a new layer of surface asphalt will be applied across the road sections, including pavement near the bridge ends designed to create a smooth transition back into the existing N.C. 105 roadway.
Why the pace has been deliberate. Dishman emphasized that N.C. 105 is a vital corridor linking Avery and Watauga counties, which has kept continuous access a top priority throughout construction. That priority has meant strict limits on lane work, closures, and flagging operations to minimize disruption to drivers. Mandatory safety procedures during blasting operations, required to clear rock along the corridor, also added time to the overall project timeline.
The $48.7 million project remains on track for completion in late 2027. Drivers should continue to use caution through the work zone and check DriveNC.gov for real-time travel information.
