THE CAROLINA STATES SUPPLEMENT
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May 19 2010
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Vol. XXII • No. 10
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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Carolina States Connection • Richard McKeon, Charlotte, NC 1-800-288-4234
English Eyes Bridge Completion Before the Sun Sets on Summer By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
A new bridge is steadily growing in Sunset Beach, N.C., to replace the one that has been in use since the 1960s. The contract for $31 million was awarded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to English Construction Company, Lynchburg, Va. Funding is coming from the federal government. Work began on Feb. 19, 2008, and an estimated completion date has been set for Dec. 14, 2010.
However, hopes are that the new bridge will be open to traffic by the end of the summer. The contract calls for the construction of the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and the approaches on SR 1172 at Sunset Beach. The bridge replaces the current single-lane platoon bridge. According to David Byrd, assistant resident engineer for NCDOT, challenges with the project have included the logistics of constructing the bridge over the waterway, working within environmental permits and navigational waterway restrictions. As of April 30, the job
was running 4.89 percent behind the progress schedule. “I believe this is only the second bridge in the state with post-tensioned prestressed concrete girders,” Byrd said. “The pre-stressed concrete girders over the waterway have ducts inside them. Steel strands or wires are pressed through the ducts, then stressed to predetermined load. Grout is placed inside the ducts to seal the permanently stressed tendons. This procedure produces a camber in the girders.” Construction will eventually see BRIDGE page 6
Photo courtesy of John C. Clegg, Sunset Realty
Crews are hard at work on the new Sunset Beach bridge, which will replace the bridge that has been in use since the 1960s.
Photo courtesy of John C. Clegg, Sunset Realty
Challenges with the project have included the logistics of constructing the bridge over the waterway, working within environmental permits and navigational waterway restrictions.
Challenges with the project have included the logistics of constructing the bridge over the waterway, working within environmental permits and navigational waterway restrictions.