Summer repairs on two Outer Banks bridges likely to inconvenience drivers

Drivers over two bridges to the Outer Banks may have to contend with lane closures this summer as workers do repairs on the aging spans.

The older side of the Wright Memorial Bridge over the Currituck Sound is scheduled for restoration later this year, said John Abel, North Carolina Department of Transportation division bridge maintenance engineer.

Built in 1966, the 2.8-mile bridge needs repairs to the structure's concrete, including the girders and pile caps. The two-lane span, used by eastbound traffic, was last rehabilitated in 1997. It has a sufficiency rating of 40, with 100 the best.

Sufficiency ratings are based on a formula that places 55 percent of the value on the structural condition of the bridge, 30

percent on its serviceability and 15 percent on its public importance.

The $170,000 project should be ready for bids next month, Abel said. A contract is expected to be awarded by June, Abel said.

"I wouldn't say it's a major repair," he said. "It's just too large for our crews to handle. The maintenance is pretty substantial on this bridge."

Abel said that he expects that the contractor will use "some sort of traffic control," including closure of one lane, but no work would be done on weekends or holidays.

As the main entrance to the Outer Banks for vacationers from the north, the bridge became so heavily traveled that a new two-lane span next to the original was opened in 1995 for westbound traffic.

An annual average of 20,000 vehicles crosses the Wright Memorial Bridge each day in both directions, according to a 2006 traffic count survey, the most recent available. In 1994, an average of 12,800 vehicles crossed the two-lane bridge daily.

Work also will be done on the William B. Umstead Bridge, better known as the Manns Harbor bridge, over Croatan Sound. Work will include installation of pile jackets - coverings to reinforce the pilings - and repair of deteriorated concrete.

Estimated to cost $400,000, the contract also is expected to be ready to go by June, Abel said.

Although the new Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge from Manteo to Manns Harbor made the older bridge less traveled, it is still a functional bridge, Abel said. It has a sufficiency rating of 6, he said, but it is safe to cross.

The 2.7-mile bridge, built in 1955, is considered structurally deficient, which is not as bad as it sounds, Abel said. It just means that the bridge needs considerable maintenance to stay in service.

The bridge was rehabilitated in 1966. In 2006, average daily traffic was 1,800 vehicles. At this time, he said, there is no plan to demolish or replace the Umstead bridge.

Once the project starts, the contractor must keep at least one lane open for traffic, Abel said. Work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com