NCDOT awards Yadkin River bridge contract

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), US has awarded a joint venture of Flatiron Constructors and Lane Construction (Flatiron-Lane) a US$136 million design and build contract for the first phase of improvements to the I-85 highway.

The work includes replacing the bridges carrying the highway over the Yadkin River. The bridge currently carries over 80000 vehicles-a-day between Davidson and Rowan counties.

The contract covers phase one of the project and funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, state funding and Grant Anticipated Revenue.

Phase one of the project includes:

• Replacing the bridges that carry I-85 over the Yadkin River;
• Replacing parallel bridges crossing over the North Carolina Railroad located north of the river;
• Replacing parallel bridges over the Duke Power Industrial Rail Spur located south of river;
• Replacing the bridge carring U.S. 29/70 North over the river;
• Reconstructing the interchange at N.C. 150;
• Removing the I-85 interchange at Clark Road;
• Widening about 3 miles (4.8 km) of I-85 from four lanes to eight lanes; and
• Building noise walls.

Construction is expected to begin in October this year with the first phase expected to be complete by 2013, about eight months earlier than the NCDOT had originally anticipated.

Phase two is expected to cost US$ 120 - 130 million and includes:

• Widening about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of I-85;
• Reconstructing the interchange of I-85 at Belmont Road.