ASHEVILLE — The N.C. Department of Transportation is taking a
different route to provide drivers a path over Lake Rhodhiss in the coming
months and for decades to come.
As a result of multiple meetings and hearing the concerns of
citizens, community business owners and leaders, it was evident that the
community wanted an option that would be less impactful to traffic. Therefore,
NCDOT officials have decided to make temporary repairs to Castle Bridge and
begin planning for a new bridge beside it to connect Burke County and Caldwell
County.
Instead of replacing steel beams and the concrete deck, a
contractor will repair the beams so the bridge may remain in service for three
to five more years while engineers plan, design, secure funding, environmental
permits and right of way necessary for an additional bridge.
Engineers have begun drafting contract details for the repair
process which should start this fall. The goal of making temporary repairs is to
keep the existing bridge open as much as possible during the process.
The repairs should take four to six months to complete and may
require short-term bridge closures of two-to-five days and lane closures for
longer durations.
General plans, decisions and details regarding the time schedule,
funding and design of the new bridge will be determined in the coming
months.
Contact: David Uchiyama
duchiyama@ncdot.gov
(828) 251-6171