18 minute read
Smoother Drives in the Future for NC-105
Worth the Wait...
THE WATAUGA RIVER BRIDGE PROJECT
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Written by Joe Johnson
Amuch-needed replacement project began four months ago on the 66-year-old bridge over the Watauga River on NC-105 near Broadstone Road just outside of Boone. The new bridge is expected to be completed by May 15, 2025.
Citizens of Boone, Banner Elk, and the surrounding areas will subsequently be impacted throughout the bridge construction with significant road delays and altered traffic patterns. Residents and visitors are asked to drive slowly and observe caution throughout the area, as lanes going in each direction on NC-105 and Broadstone Road will both have periodically staggered traffic during the process over the next few years.
However, the frustration from heavy traffic will all be worth it when drivers experience the new bridge. The four-lane bridge will offer more room for drivers that will result in a smoother ride with less traffic congestion.
“I think the replacement bridge is going to provide a lot of relief for traffic congestion in the area,” said Ivan Dishman, District Supervisor at the Boone District Office of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “There will be two lanes in each direction on the bridge on NC-105 with a painted median across it. There will be some realignment of Old Tweetsie Road just to accommodate the lengthening of the bridge and extending guardrails onto the road. There will also be a left turn lane traveling north from NC-105 turning onto Broadstone Road. Traveling south on NC-105 there will be a right turn lane heading onto Broadstone Road as well; everyone will be happy!”
Ivan Dishman Boone District Supervisor, NCDOT
The Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 near Broadstone Road has been planned by NCDOT for several years, with future infrastructural updates planned for the areas and roads adjacent to the bridge.
Way back in September of 2016, the Environmental Assessment was approved for the project. This was followed by the property acquisition from 2018 to 2021 for the bridge replacement on NC-105 near Broadstone Road and the NC-105 widening project in general. The bridge replacement near Broadstone Road is the current phase of the project, which will be followed by the overall NC-105 widening project, projected to start in the summer of 2024. By the time the widening project for NC-105 from Clarks Creek Road to NC-105 Bypass has begun, the bridge on NC-105 near Broadstone Road is expected to be fully replaced.
“We’re probably several months from working on the bridge itself,” Dishman said. “We have huge cuts to make on the northeast corner adjacent to Old Tweetsie Road, which will be rock. Well, it appears to be rock; we’re exploring to see what’s there, and it’s always hard to tell what’s coming until you move some dirt and trees. The southwest corner adjacent to Broadstone Road will receive the same kind of treatment.”
The new Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 will be noticeably different from the smaller one in use today. The current 66-yearold bridge is not known for its accommodability due to its two-lane structure on the curve leading to the intersection of Broadstone Road and NC-105. The sizeable new bridge will accommodate more drivers simultaneously in an attempt to suppress traffic issues around the area. The final structure of the new bridge will be approximately 270 feet long and 102 feet wide, with 99 feet of width for usable travel lanes in
Facing southbound on NC Highway 105. As you approach the construction area, be mindful of cones, barrels, and workers. Traffic flow, stopping positions, and lane usage may change daily and sometimes multiple times a day.
An aerial view above the bridge over the Watauga River at the intersection of NC Hwy 105 and Old Tweetsie Road. This view will dramatically change by 2025.
A system of sprayers along the side of the bridge help keep the surface from freezing during cold weather. An updated system will be installed on the new bridge.
both directions. The current bridge is under 40 feet wide, which marks a noticeable upgrade.
“The bridge will sit in the curve on NC-105 just before the Broadstone Road intersection,” said Brendan H. Spencer, Assistant Resident Engineer at the Boone District Office of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “It will be on an arc skewed 120 degrees parallel to NC-105, meaning that if you were traveling down NC-105 from Boone, you would turn your steering wheel about 60 degrees to the left crossing the bridge while driving the speed limit. The new bridge will have a 6% fall in the slope of the roadway to the downstream side of the bridge for the purpose of drainage, compared to 2% on typical roadways.”
The new bridge structure will be taller than the current bridge, with the highest point sitting almost three feet above the current bridge’s highest point. This will put the new bridge at a maximum elevation of 2,764 feet above sea level, which is 40 feet above the elevation of the Watauga River. The replacement Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 near Broadstone Road will also be outfitted with brand new safety features including a bridge de-icing system that automatically prevents the bridge from icing over using nozzles installed on the bridge.
In order to achieve all of these changes, the Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 replacement project involves a considerable number of steps to completion.
“The project will involve the removal of approximately 156,000 cubic yards of earthen material, and some 11,800 square yards of solid rock to be split and removed,” Spencer said. “The volume of rock removed is dependent on how deep they will need to drill; these are estimated quantities from the project design phase and may fluctuate depending on the results of the contractor’s study via drilling. The material will be hauled to sites acquired by the contractor and preapproved by the NCDOT.”
The contractor, Wright Brothers Construction of Charleston, Tennessee, is being overseen by the NCDOT while taking on the massive ordeal, and it is not a small project.
The cost of the entire project to widen and revamp NC-105 from Clarks Creek Road in Foscoe to the NC-105 Bypass in Boone, including the construction of the new Watauga River Bridge, is estimated to be about $95 million. This puts the cost of the NC-105 widening from Clarks Creek Road to Boone at $74.8 million, with the bridge replacement over the Watauga River on NC-105 near Broadstone Road adding almost
The view beneath the 66-year-old bridge. The NCDOT will utilize best practices to preserve the integrity of the waterway during the construction process. Protecting the natural habitat is one of their highest priorities.
$20.3 million onto the total renovation cost.
The bridge replacement project requires extensive use of manpower provided by contractors, and NCDOT is more than happy with the work Wright Brothers Construction has been providing.
“With regard to this project, it’s been going really well with the contractor,” Dishman said. “We had big concerns about the amount of traffic and everything, so I must give Wright Brothers Construction a lot of credit. They’ve been doing incredibly well at moving traffic through as quickly as possible.”
The Boone District Office of the North Carolina Department of Transportation oversees the Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 replacement project, putting an emphasis on community impact.
The district office generally covers Watauga, Avery, and Caldwell Counties, overseeing contract administration throughout the regions.
“The majority of our workload is administering contracts,” Dishman said. “This involves interpreting plans, ensuring the work is being done according to specification, recording quantities for payment, answering the contractor’s questions, and communicating with the public about any of their concerns. We understand members of the public have different perspectives, different needs, and different priorities, so we are always trying to take the whole community into consideration.”
Part of the NCDOT’s responsibilities include coordinating with the contractor to assure environmental regulations are being met. Due to the region being home to a slew of unique flora and fauna, the Department of Transportation must be careful how and where they operate.
“The main instream work we have is putting a causeway in, which is basically a work platform to install the foundation of the bridge. The only other instream work that we would occur is demolishing the bent from the old bridge. These processes have very little impact; it’s not even in the water, it is on the bank and made of clean stone,” Dishman said. “Oftentimes up here we also have trout moratoriums, which means no instream work from October to roughly April; that was in play on this project. There is also a potential for a hellbender moratorium, which is an amphibian that has been found near here in the past. When we’re doing work, we put up an orange fence around areas that are determined to be environmentally sensitive. NCDOT works closely with regulators regarding hellbenders, trout, sediment, and all those kinds of things. We have a good working relationship with regulators; when we get ready to have a potential environmental impact, we contact
Ivan Dishman Boone District Supervisor, NCDOT
them as standard procedure.”
As the bridge replacement project occurs over the span of three years, the process is being divided into three yearlong phases. The first phase in 2022 will mostly consist of relocating the utilities, removing vegetation, and removing dirt and rock. During this phase of reconstruction, drivers near the Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 near Broadstone Road will be impacted by activities such as drilling and blasting. The second yearlong phase includes building the first half of the new bridge where the traffic will be gradually switched before building the final half of the bridge. The process of building the bridge itself is projected to be completed by Saturday, November 30, 2024, barring any setbacks or delays, and as aforementioned, the overall bridge replacement process is scheduled to be finished May 15, 2025.
There will be several processes within the bridge replacement project near Broadstone Road that require drivers to adjust their course. The biggest hazard in the coming year will mostly derive from the blasting of rock and sediment.
“One of the main issues in the construction of the bridge will be blasting operations,” Dishman said. “We will need to do that during the day for safety reasons. When this happens, we need to stop traffic, so we don’t have any problems. There are penalties for the contractor blasting outside of set times, so drivers will not have to worry about blasting during these hours. When the contractor reaches the point of no return on the blast, they will close the road, make sure everyone is cleared from the work area, pull the shot, make sure everything is safe, and clear the road of debris all within 30 minutes. The
frequency of blasting operations depends on how they perform and how difficult it is to clean up the mess and get ready for the next one. If it’s a small shot where they’re working, maybe they could get multiple blasts in more frequently. They will have to decide on the blasting schedule depending on how their plans evolve.”
Other times the contractor can shut down the traffic lanes include nighttime hours to set girders for the new bridge and demolish the old bridge. The nighttime processes will start about a year from now.
Generally, lane closures from the bridge occurring on NC-105, Broadstone Road, and Old Tweetsie Road are approved from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Nightly lane closures are allowed on weekends as well. Construction personnel are also allowed to stop traffic for up to 30 minutes for blasting operations from Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and bridge removal operations from Monday through Sunday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. In the event of blasting operations, NC-105 must be closed to both northbound and southbound traffic and any intersecting “Y” lines during the blasting process. As directed by the engineer, blasting operations may be conducted at times outside of certain time frames only if the blasting operation will not impact traffic on NC-105 and Broadstone Road. Blasting operations will occur during these time frames for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Changeable message road signs will be set up along NC-105, Broadstone Road, and Old Tweetsie Road to warn drivers of upcoming blasting procedures.
Thankfully, there are restrictions on lane closures involving holidays and other occurrences that may result in unusually bad traffic. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has prohibited construction personnel from conducting operations during holidays or special events. These events include any unexpected occurrence that creates unusually high traffic volumes, as directed by the engineer.
Throughout lane closures and traffic surges, the NCDOT will continue to be working with traffic control crews to alleviate any hazards for motorists, as well as cooperating with the Watauga County Sherriff’s Department to ensure safety is a top priority and delays are kept to a minimum.
The completion of the new Watauga River Bridge on NC-105 near Broadstone Road will surely provide a refreshing change of pace after years of periodic congestion. The future widening of NC-105 from Clarks Creek Road in Foscoe to the NC-105 Bypass in Boone will further accommodate increased drivers in the
Facing north as southbound traffic approaches. Pay close attention to the flaggers as they serve to protect you and NCDOT workers in and around the construction site.
area, although this part of the project is still in the design phase.
“With the information I have available it appears that right-of-way acquisition is slated to begin mid-2022, with all coordination between North Carolina Department of Transportation, nearby property owners and utility providers finishing in early 2024,” Spencer said. “That’s all the specific information I’m privy to at this time, as the plans we’ve seen are not finalized.”
The Watauga River Bridge and NC-105 widening project also includes creating a new intersection with NC-105, Broadstone Road, and Old Tweetsie Road, in addition to a new upgraded traffic signal system. The added two lanes of traffic on the bridge, bringing the number of lanes up to four, will not only prevent traffic congestion on NC-105, but hopefully in the greater Banner Elk and Boone areas as a whole. Other aspects of the project include extending the existing passing lane to the south, realigning a sharp turn at the southern intersection at Old Shull’s Mill Road and NC-105, and closing the northern Old Shull’s Mill Road and NC-105 intersection. In addition, the roadway between Broadstone Road and the NC-105 Bypass will be widened to four lanes with a 23-foot-wide raised grass median. Six-foot paved shoulders will also be added along the entire 4.5-mile corridor, further adding to the roadway’s safe and secure new features. Each aspect of the upcoming bridge running over the Watauga River on NC105 was catered directly to assuring the most pleasant possible ride home. Come mid-2025, residents driving over the state-of-the-art new bridge will not even think about the trudge home provided by the narrow bridge currently on NC-105 near Broadstone Road. ♦
X ROAD CLOSED OPEN
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has prohibited construction personnel from conducting operations during holidays or special events. These events include any unexpected occurrence that creates unusually high traffic volumes, as directed by the engineer. These events are as follows:
• New Year’s between the hours of 6 a.m.
December 31st to 7 p.m. January 2nd. If New
Year’s Day is on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, the bridge will be prohibited from closing until 7 p.m. the following Tuesday.
• Easter between the hours of 6 a.m. Thursday to
7 p.m. Monday.
• Memorial Day between the hours of 6 a.m.
Friday to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
• Independence Day between the hours of 6 a.m.
July 3rd to 7 p.m. July 5th. If Independence Day is on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, the bridge will be prohibited from closing between the hours of 6 a.m. the Thursday before July 4th to 7p.m. the Tuesday after July 4th .
• Labor Day between the hours of 6 a.m. Friday
to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
• Thanksgiving Day between the hours of 6 a.m.
Tuesday to 7 p.m. Monday.
• Christmas between the hours of 6 a.m. the
Friday before the week of Christmas Day until 7 p.m. on the following Tuesday.
• The fall foliage season; all weekends in
October between the hours of 6 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Monday.
• Appalachian State University home football
games, between the hours of 12 p.m. (noon) the day before the game to 9 a.m. the Monday after the game.
Parting Shot ... A look back at Ken Ketchie’s Workmates
It’s been a pleasure working with all the people whose names have been included in our Staff Box over the last 44 years. And there were so many others who lent a hand along the way. Newspapering takes creative types to bring an issue alive every week, and I’ve worked with some of the best! Getting to work with these people has been the most exciting part of my job. Many thanks to all of you! . Ken Ketchie 05-25-22
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