Replacement of 41-year-old Col. Co. bridge starts soon

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The NC Department of Transportation says work will start next month to replace a 41-year-old bridge in Columbus County.

The DOT has awarded a contract to replace the bridge on Ramsey Ford Road near Nakina.

The work means a road closure and detour to start Feb. 2. It will affect Columbus County School bus routes and the Nakina Fire and Rescue Department that is next to the bridge being replaced. The detour will use NC 905, Big Cypress Road and Ramsey Ford Road. Drivers are advised to use caution while traveling in the area, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.

The DOT says the 41-year-old bridge is considered functionally obsolete, prompting the need to make the routes safer and more effective for drivers. The contractor has 115 days to close the road, build the new bridge and open the road back up. This project is one of 12 bridges in a $7,846,349.62 contract with Smith-Rowe LLC on the State Funded Bridge Replacement program. It was awarded to the lowest bidder as required by state law.

For real-time travel information at any time, visit the Travel section of the NCDOT website, call 511, or follow NCDOT on Twitter. Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website.