DOT says new Oak Island Bridge girders unacceptable

The Department of Transportation is ordering five girders in the new Oak Island Bridge be replaced.

An inspector noticed cracks in one of the girders in June and stopped work on them all together. Further inspection revealed four more girders weren’t acceptable according to DOT standards and must be replaced.

Construction on the bridge has been stifled since last December, when one of the girders collapsed, killing one of the workers.

The DOT says work on other parts of the bridge will be able to continue as the girders are replaced. At this point, the contractor has not requested an extension on the project. It it is scheduled to be complete in December.