MARION – A replacement contractor has resumed construction to replace an old bridge on Sugar Hill Road over Interstate 40 and improve adjacent intersections.
N.C. Department of Transportation officials anticipate United Infrastructure Group will complete the project by November of 2023.
The first objectives are to complete work on the westbound onramp, address all erosion control and prepare to shift traffic onto a new section of the bridge and complete the work associated with the I-40 westbound on- and offramp. This initial phase of work is expected to be completed by mid-August. Then crews will complete the remainder of the project with operations such as clearing, grubbing, asphalt wedging, anchoring a safety barrier, installing a guardrail and lane markings.
The project United Infrastructure Group plans to complete is the same one that the previous contractor, National Bridge Builders, LLC, of Kernersville, started.
Earlier this year, NCDOT declared that National Bridge Builders was in default of its contract. The company removed its crew, its equipment, and halted construction, effectively abandoning the project.
NCDOT terminated the contract after exhausting all other efforts to continue construction. Then the bonding company used by National Bridge Builders was required to secure a replacement contractor to complete the project at no additional expense to NCDOT or taxpayers.
NCDOT rarely terminates a contract after it has been awarded, and only does so after exhausting all efforts to keep the contractor on schedule. NCDOT requires bonding companies in its contracts to protect taxpayers in the event of a breach of contract.