Test pile project to begin at Alligator River Bridge

COLUMBIA, N.C. – N.C. Department of Transportation contractors will soon begin driving as many as 18 concrete test piles into the bed of the Alligator River, an important step in the project to replace the Lindsay C. Warren (Alligator River) Bridge on U.S. 64 between Tyrrell and Dare counties.

Skanska USA will be overseeing the test pile project, which will guide design and construction engineers in deciding the best means and methods of constructing the new bridge and will help them complete environmental reviews and construction plans. Piles are heavy posts driven into the ground as a foundation for a structure such as a bridge.

The new bridge will replace the existing 64-year-old swing-span bridge with a modern two-lane, fixed-span, high-rise bridge on a new location, just north of the current bridge. The new bridge will include two 12-foot travel lanes with 8-foot breakdown lanes.

Construction on the new bridge is expected to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.