COLUMBIA – The North Carolina Department of Transportation said Thursday that its contractors will soon begin driving concrete test piles into the bed of the Alligator River in what officials called an important step in the project to replace the U.S. Highway 64 bridge over the river between Tyrrell and Dare counties.
NCDOT announced that as many as 18 test piles would be driven, with New York-based Skanska USA overseeing the test pile project. Officials described the piles as heavy posts driven into the ground as a foundation for a structure such as a bridge.
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The work is to guide design and construction engineers in deciding the best means and methods of constructing the replacement bridge and will help them complete environmental reviews and construction plans.
The Lindsay C. Warren Bridge is a 64-year-old, swing-span bridge. NCDOT said its replacement will be a modern two-lane, fixed-span, high-rise bridge sited just north of the current bridge. The new bridge will include two, 12-foot travel lanes with 8-foot breakdown lanes.
Construction on the new bridge is expected to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
