[Durham INC] Durham Begins NC 147 Pedestrian Bridge Project

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  May 18, 2009

 

Durham Begins NC 147 Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project

Downtown Gateway Bridge Construction Will Temporarily Alter Overnight
Traffic Routes on Durham Freeway 

 

DURHAM, N.C. - The long-awaited demolition and replacement of the
pedestrian bridge at Alston Avenue will begin later this month and
motorists are asked to take note of planned overnight traffic detours on
NC 147.

 

Beginning May 26 and lasting approximately two weeks, the City's
contractor, S.T. Wooten Corporation, will begin their first road closure
of NC 147.  Traffic will be rerouted using Briggs and Alston Avenues as
detours from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. as crews complete the demolition of
the old pedestrian bridge structure.  

 

After demolition is complete and the new bridge span arrives, crews will
again close NC 147 during these same hours and using these same detour
routes for the duration of setting the new bridge span into place.  An
announcement regarding the second closure will be provided to the public
once this date is set.

 

According to Katie Kalb, director of the City's Department of Public
Works, the bridge replacement is necessary to link residential and
commercial areas divided by NC 147 and to also link those areas to the
future Alston Avenue Triangle Transit Rail Station as well as any future
trail system.  "The enclosed design of the original bridge provided poor
visibility for users and police officers, leading to its closure in
1995.  Plus, the bridge had deteriorated due to its age," Kalb said.
"Thanks to the NCDOT providing most of the funding with money remaining
from the original NC 147 Durham Freeway Project, we have been able to
keep pushing this forward, in spite of repeated funding shortfalls and
delays.  It's taken six years to get to this point, but we know this
project is important to our citizens and to the future economic
prosperity of these neighborhoods - and frankly, the community as a
whole."

 

The project will cost $2.2 million and should be completed within 300
calendar days once construction is underway.  Eighty percent of the
funding for this project is from the North Carolina Department of
Transportation with the City picking up the additional 20 percent, which
was approved in the 2008-2009 budget.

 

To learn more about this project or to view images of the new pedestrian
bridge that will serve as a gateway to downtown, visit the City's Web
site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/works/project_nc147_bike_ped_bridge.cfm or
contact Byron Brady, senior contract engineer with the City's Department
of Public Works, at (919) 560-4326, extension 296 or via e-mail at 
Byron.Brady at durhamnc.gov.

 

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