WHITE OAK — The state Department of Transportation said this week it hopes to reopen a bridge on N.C. 53 by February.
The bridge has been closed since Hurricane Florence came through in September. However, it was already part of a contract with six other bridges for repair.
When the storm did damage, the DOT closed it, reworked the contract and accelerated plans.
The original contract included two bridges in Bladen County, four in Robeson County and one in Cumberland County.
The other bridge in Bladen County is on Merce Mill Brown Marsh Road over Hammonds Creek. Work there has already been completed.
The contract is with Smith-Rowe LLC for $5.4 million. The completion date for all seven bridges is Jan. 7, 2020.