ROCKY MOUNT– The Leggett Road crossing on the Tar River northeast of downtown Rocky Mount will be replaced with a modern bridge.
Fred Smith Co. of Raleigh will replace the 58-year-old bridge, after the state Transportation Department awarded a $2.6 million contract last month.
The bridge has become structurally deficient, reaching the end of its useful life and requiring more maintenance and imposing truck weight limits. The new bridge will have wider shoulders and no weight restrictions.
The contractor can start work in the fall and close the road at the river. The contractor will have until September 2022 to complete the new bridge and reopen the road.
The primary detour will send drivers along N.C. 97 and Springfield Road. A longer alternative will use U.S. 64 Alternate and Dunbar/New Hope Church roads.