Two of Three Repair Contracts Awarded for N.C. 12
The impending Nor’easter is not preventing the department from moving forward with awarding contracts to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. NCDOT awarded an $893,297 contract yesterday to RPC Contracting to reconstruct the pavement, repair sandbags and construct a dune in Kitty Hawk, as well as repair the pavement on N.C. 12 approaching the temporary bridge on Pea Island.
The department has also awarded an $186,293 contract to Carolina Bridge Co. to repair the tension cables on the bridge deck of the Bonner Bridge. Work began on Monday, Nov. 5.
Also, NCDOT is working to provide four-wheel drive access from south of the Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe. Once a safe route is in place, crews will open one lane of the Bonner Bridge for four-wheel-drive vehicles only to access Rodanthe and communities to the south via the bridge and NC 12.
At Rodanthe, Barnhill Contracting Co. is mobilizing crews and equipment to begin work as soon as a contract is finalized. Work will include reconstructing the roadway and dunes, and rebuilding the sandbags. It is scheduled to start in the next few days.
Completion of the repair work depends heavily on the effects of the Nor’easter. NCDOT will have a more specific timetable for completion after the storm passes and crews can evaluate any damage.
Additional equipment and personnel are making good progress clearing sand from the roadway. As of this morning, crews have cleared 75 percent of the sand from the roadway. In preparation for reconstructing the dunes, 30 percent of the sand has been moved into place. NCDOT employees have been working extended hours over the past week to do this work.
As crews continue to work, forecasters are predicting a Nor’easter will bring rain, wind and the potential for flooding along the coast Wednesday, which could cause additional damage to the highway. During the Nor’easter, ferry service may also be disrupted due to changing water levels or high winds. NCDOT will provide an update tomorrow afternoon on any impacts from the storm.
The department urges motorists to “know before you go” about traffic conditions along the Outer Banks. For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter atwww.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/.
Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type “m.ncdot.gov” into the browser of your smartphone and bookmark it for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.
(Note: To view images of hurricane recovery efforts along the Outer Banks, visit the NCDOT Flickr page athttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ncdot/.)
