What's Happening in Raleigh, NC…

The City of Raleigh recently replaced a bridge that has been closed since 2014, and reopened the road.

The bridge over Walnut Creek just below Lake Johnson Dam was 53 years old, and had developed structural problems that caused deterioration, making it unsafe. The replacement span meets all current design regulations, and address these problems so they won't recur. The bridge carries Lake Dam Road across Walnut Creek. Flyer printing can be used in situations like this to provide information about the project's status.

Wayne Miles, Raleigh's Stormwater Program Manager, said the city understood that closing the road made travel challenging for area residents, and their patience throughout the project was deeply appreciated.

The long closure was due to the fact that the city finalized all aspects of the project before it began the work, and coordinated the replacement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). This enabled the city to save nearly $2 million, since the federal government supplied funding.

He also went on to thank SEPI Engineering, S.T. Wooten, and Dewberry for finishing the project quickly, adding it's not easy to replace a bridge on a site like Walnut Creek, where the structure to be removed is just below a dam.

In addition to replacing the bridge, workers repaired the Walnut Creek streambank, and put in a new sidewalk on the bridge's east side.