Construction visible, road closed for new Surf City bridge

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — You can now see the construction area for the new bridge that will replace the iconic Surf City Swing Bridge.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation began work on the project late last month.

Allan Libby with the Town of Surf City took pictures of the area Tuesday. South New River Drive near Kinston Avenue is blocked off with road signs.

A DOT spokesman said the land has already been purchased for the bridge, but surveying will take place throughout the whole project.

The NCDOT awarded a $54 million contract to replace the swing bridge. The contract, awarded to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. of Wilmington, will replace the current structure with a bridge with a 65-foot vertical clearance that will not need to open for vessels on the waterway.

The new bridge is expected to open for traffic by mid-September 2019, with the entire project wrapped up by November 2020.

Click here to read more about the project from the NCDOT.