Last Updated on June 4, 2012 12:29 pm
N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti has awarded a contract to replace the U.S. 321 bridge over Cove Creek in Sugar Grove.
The $1.6 million contract was awarded to James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction Co. of Jefferson. Work can begin as early as June 25 and be completed by Jan. 28, 2014.
The new bridge will be built downstream from the current structure. The project includes straightening U.S. 321 in the area. During construction, traffic will be maintained on the current bridge. Once the new bridge is completed, traffic will move onto the new structure while the old bridge is removed and the area around it is landscaped.
The bridge was built in 1936 and is deemed functionally obsolete. This does not mean the bridge is unsafe, but its layout no longer meets current design standards for width, shoulders or rails. The new bridge will be able to accommodate larger vehicles than the current bridge.
This is one of 30 contracts totaling $109.3 million awarded by Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 3.9 percent, or $4.4 million, below NCDOT estimates.
Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 631 highway contracts totaling $4.3 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.
Gov. Perdue’s proposed budget continues to support an enhancing or expanding our transportation infrastructure. In doing so, Gov. Perdue continues to support immediate jobs in the construction sector and the goal of ensuring that our transportation network facilitates access to jobs, education and healthcare for the future.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation generates $6 in economic impact.
