CHARLOTTE — Crews will begin closing lanes on Interstate 85 next week to construct a $50.7 million bridge in Charlotte, designed to serve as a “monumental entrance to the city.”
The bridge, which will connect Research Drive and J.W. Clay Boulevard, is part of a project that aims to link the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with the University Research Park.
According to the Charlotte Observer, the bridge will accommodate cars, public transit, bicycles, and pedestrians.
It will feature the city’s name in capital letters and the Queen Charlotte crown design, visible to both northbound and southbound drivers.
Dane Construction, based in Mooresville, is the general contractor for the project. Lane closures on I-85 are set to begin on Monday, July 14, to facilitate the installation of protective concrete barriers.
The bridge will provide an alternative route for drivers, potentially easing congestion at the W.T. Harris Boulevard and Mallard Creek Church Road interchanges.
It will also connect directly to the LYNX Blue Line J.W. Clay station and future greenways.
Construction crews will work around the clock over the next two months to build the key interior support of the bridge, known as the bent, before moving on to the superstructure.
The city began planning the bridge in 2017, and it is expected to open in 2028 following delays related to utility relocations.
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