The North Carolina Department of Transportation said Friday that its contractor plans to start construction next week to improve the five-lane section of U.S. Highway 64 between the Melvin R. Daniels Bridge, also known as the “Little Bridge,” and the Washington Baum Bridge, both in Dare County.
Raleigh-based Fred Smith Co. is to begin the project, a milling and resurfacing operation, April 2 between the two bridges in order to allow another crew to complete its ongoing work to bore an emergency waterline adjacent to the Washington Baum Bridge. During this phase, the transportation contractor also plans to resurface the access parking lot for the Daniels bridge. Work is scheduled for completion by April 14, officials said.
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Once complete, the contractor will demobilize to perform work for the town of Kill Devil Hills and allow Dare County’s boring contractor time to complete the waterline project.
The Fred Smith crews will then return and finish the remaining five-lane section of U.S. 64 from the Washington Baum Bridge to the Virginia Dare Bridge before May 9 when work is expected to be completed, officials said. The work schedules are weather-dependent.
The upcoming work is part of ongoing project to improve several areas of U.S. 64 and nearby Dare County roads and bridges. The company was awarded the $2.4 million contract in September 2024.
Motorists should be alert to new traffic patterns in the area, slow down and drive with caution through the work zone.
