Folks eager for work to begin on two bridges in Bladen County that cross the Cape Fear River — the bridge at Tar Heel and the one on N.C. 11 at the Columbus-Bladen county line —will have to wait a little longer, according to Sonny Upole with the N.C. Department of Transportation Bridge Unit.

“It’s my understanding the bridge at Tar Heel has been pushed back to 2011 and the one at Riegelwood is scheduled for 2013 for replacement,” said Upole.

He said that a DOT official in Raleigh “pushed them back” due to the cost. Upole expected the two bridges to cost between $10 and $12 million.

“Those bridges re not dangerous, but they are old. They need to be replaced. We spend a lot of money maintaining them and it’s not cost effective anymore,” said Upole.

Tracey Pittman, with the construction unit at N.C. DOT, said on Thursday the dates for letting contracts to work on the ridge at Riegelwood is March 15, 2011, and the let date for contracts to replace the bridge at Tar Heel is Sept. 20, 2011.

According to the N.C. DOT Web site, the work on the bridge on N.C. 41, known in DOT records as B-3613, at the Sampson and Bladen County line will include: grading work, drainage, paving and structure work at a cost of about $1.9 million. 

The contract for the work was awarded to Sanford Contractors and work is shown on the Web site reports the work to be expected to be about 10 percent complete and according to the Web site the work is about 14 percent complete.

The projected completion date is Dec. 31, 2010.