ELIZABETHTOWN — When 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. arrived weekdays, the activity around the U.S. 701 bridge over the Cape Fear River between Elizabethtown and White Lake over the past few weeks has turned into something akin to a disturbed fire ant hill.
It’s at those times that numerous yellow-vested NCDOT workers scurry around the top of the bridge preparing to move an enormous girder weighing 188,000 pounds or more to its place on the new portion of the span.
When the month of May comes to a close, they will have moved 72 such girders — up to four each day — which have been transported to Elizabethtown from Wilmington.
Doing much of the heavy lifting has been a giant crane that stretches 40 stories into the air.
“Wow, look at that giant crane,” exclaimed Brennan Melvin, 7, of Elizabethtown, who was recently brought to see the work by his grandfather, Donnell Melvin. “I hope the crane doesn’t tip over.”
It didn’t.
As Brennan watched the activity from afar, the NCDOT workers performed the task in syncronized movements, as the crane gently lifted, moved and lowered girder No. 66 into place.
That crane is as much a marvel as the work it is doing.
According to NCDOT officials, sections of the crane – which measures more than 400 feet tall and weighs nearly 2.6 million pounds – were hauled in by 56 trucks over the span of a week prior to girders arriving.
Before the final six girders were placed, NCDOT kept the bridge open throughout last Friday to allow the expected heavy traffic to flow for the White Lake Water Festival. Placing of the final girders was predicted to wrap up Thursday this week.
The bridge project – which started in the summer of 2020 – comes at a price tag of $23.3 million, which includes the destruction of one bridge, according to NCDOT officials.
Once the project is complete, the 1,218-foot bridge will have four lanes; it’s expected to be open to traffic by late spring 2024.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-862-4163 or cvincent@www.bladenjournal.com.