[Durham INC] Durham Installs New NC Hwy 147 Pedestrian Bridge March 17

[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

 

For Immediate Release:  March 15, 2010

 

 

Durham Installs New N.C. Hwy. 147 Pedestrian Bridge March 17

Downtown Gateway Bridge Installation Will Temporarily Alter Overnight
Traffic on Durham Freeway 

 

DURHAM, N.C. - The long-awaited installation of the pedestrian bridge at
Alston Avenue will begin overnight next week and motorists are asked to
take note of planned overnight traffic detours on N.C. Highway 147.

 

On Wednesday, March 17, the City's contractor, S.T. Wooten Corporation,
will close N.C. Highway 147 overnight to load the new bridge on two
semi-tractor trailers, roll the bridge down to its new location, and set
the bridge in place by crane.  Traffic will be rerouted using Briggs and
Alston Avenues as detours from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. on Thursday,
March 18 as crews complete the installation of the new pedestrian bridge
span.  If the weather is poor that evening, the installation will be
rescheduled to a later date in March.  This is the first of a total of
three planned closures that will take place in the coming weeks as the
City's contractor works to finish the bridge installation.  Notices of
the remaining two closures will be sent once the dates and times have
been identified.

 

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 N.C. Highway 147 and to also link those
areas to existing and future trails.  "This project is important to our
citizens and to the future economic prosperity of these neighborhoods -
and frankly, the community as a whole," Kalb said.  "It's taken us seven
years to get to this point, but the connectivity this bridge will bring
to these neighborhoods is well worth the wait and our department is
honored to make this project a reality for Durham."

 

Kalb cautioned that anyone wishing to view this unique installation
procedure must stay far away from the bridge and remain on the south
side of the Durham Freeway.  "We don't install pedestrian bridges of
this magnitude every day, so we know there may be onlookers and news
media that want to see this take place.  We are strongly cautioning
folks to stay back from the installation area, wear an orange vest, and
a hard hat," Kalb said.  "While this installation will be exciting to
see happen, there is very limited parking in the area, the work is
dangerous, and we don't want the possibility of any onlookers being
injured during this process."  

 

According to Kalb, the North Carolina Department of Transportation
(NCDOT) provided most of the funding for the new pedestrian bridge with
money remaining from the original N.C. 147 Durham Freeway Project.  The
project cost $2.2 million with 80 percent of the funding from the NCDOT
and the City picking up the additional 20 percent, which was approved in
the 2008-2009 fiscal year 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, contract management supervisor with the City's
Department of Public Works, at (919) 560-4326, extension 30296 or via
e-mail at Byron.Brady at durhamnc.gov.

 

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