RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $967,022 contract to Dane Construction Inc. of Mooresville to replace the bridge over Blythe Creek on Waxhaw-Indian Trail Road northeast of Waxhaw.

The bridge, built 50 years ago, is considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. It does not mean the bridge is unsafe, but it was built to lane width and other standards no longer used for bridges, and it has been requiring maintenance and repair and eventually needed to be replaced.

Work on the project is scheduled to start as early as April 30, with the construction portion of the project over by Nov. 15, and reforestation and vegetation work to be completed by May 13, 2013.

This is one of 34 contracts totaling $130.8 million most recently awarded by Transportation Secretary gene Conti for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 1.4 percent, or $118.8 million, below NCDOT estimates.

Since Gov. Bev Perdue took office in January of 2009, NCDOT has awarded 575 highway contracts totaling $4.1 billion to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to jobs and educational opportunities.

For more information about funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

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