NCDOT awards contract to replace bridge

OREGON INLET, N.C. (WAVY) - The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) awarded a $215.8 million contract to replace the Bonner Bridge in Dare County.

The contract was awarded to PCL Civil Constructors Inc. and HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas, a news release from NCDOT said.

The contract is $25.8 million less than NCDOT's estimated cost to build the new bridge over Oregon Inlet.

The existing Bonner Bridge was built in 1962 and has far exceeded its lifespan. The 2.7-mile bridge has a sufficiency rating of four out of 100, according to NCDOT. That does not mean the bridge is unsafe; it means the bridge no longer meets the needs of today's motorists, the release said.

NCDOT required the three design-build teams vying for the contract to substitute stainless reinforcing steel for traditional black reinforced steel in much of the bridge. Stainless steel is more durable and is not subject to extensive corrosion typical of black reinforced steel.

NCDOT also required that the teams add special mineral and chemical mixtures to the concrete used to build the bridge to increase its durability.

With these factors, NCDOT expects the new bridge to last more than 100 years.

Design work is scheduled to start in the next few weeks, with construction beginning in late 2012.

The new bridge is set to open to traffic in spring 2015.

A portion of the existing bridge will remain in place and be transformed into a fishing pier.

Click here for more information about the Bonner Bridge replacement project.