FAYETTEVILLE – Two unforeseen construction challenges on the new retaining wall on Ramsey Street will require the southbound lanes to remain closed through June.
The N.C. Department of Transportation contractor replacing the aging retaining wall has encountered a layer of soil to be harder than expected when attempting to drive the wall’s steel piles deep below the surface. Engineers are re-evaluating the design and studying options for strengthening the walls without having to drive the piles as deeply as planned.
The second challenge has been connecting the retaining wall to the concrete wall below the surface coming from the CSX trestle that spans Ramsey Street; the so-called “wing” wall of the train bridge is larger than expected. NCDOT and CSX are coordinating a design change to complete the project.
NCDOT awarded a $746,360 contract to North State Environmental Inc. of Winston-Salem, which began work and closed the southbound lanes in January. The northbound lanes are not affected.
Traffic going south is being detoured onto the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway. All businesses between the freeway and the closure at the CSX bridge continue to have customer access.
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