ALBEMARLE — A project to replace the bridge on Bethany Road over Town Creek is set to resume after the July Fourth holiday. A contractor defaulted on the project earlier this year.
The N.C. Department of Transportation has been working with Frankenmuth Insurance Company to secure a contractor to replace the existing bridge, built in 1954, with a 70-foot-long cored slab structure.
The new contractor, NJR Group Inc. of Albemarle, plans to begin work next week. The project delay and shift in contractors will not cost the state any additional funds, as a bond secures the completion of the original contract and any additional costs.
Drivers will continue using the posted detour along U.S. 52, Springdale Road, Austin Road, and Old Salisbury Road until the bridge is open to traffic in May 2023.