From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A landmark achievement in the ongoing Interstate 26 widening project has been recognized with the completion of a permanent bridge that was years in the making, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Specifially, as of Oct. 1, traffic began flowing over the new Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over I-26, NCDOT noted. 

The bridge project — in total — will cost $14.5 million.

The new bridge was deemed necessary, as parts of the old bridge interfered with ongoing construction — as agreed by NCDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service and other agencies.

On Nov. 22, 2022, John Boyle stated in his “Answer Man” column on the website Asheville Watchdog the following:

 “What makes this bridge unique is that all of its 76 pieces were pre-cast in Wilmington, N.C., starting in April 2021. Of the pieces, 62 are for the bridge superstructure and 14 for the two main piers...

“In a nutshell, it’s being built piece by concrete piece, with those pieces slowly extending outward from a concrete pier. So counterweights and math calculations are pretty crucial.”

Construction of the bridge began in 2021, taking nearly five years.

With the official opening of the bridge, crews can now proceed with removing the old bridge to continue the interstate widening project.

The removal process will involve saw-cutting and removing the deck in sections, followed by the removal of girders, NCDOT stated, adding that, then, the six-pier columns will be pushed to the ground and dismantled,.

During the construction period, portions of the roadway will have to be closed at night, NCDOT noted. The removal of the old bridge is expected to take about six weeks.