ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
The final pour of concrete connecting both sides of the new Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over Interstate 26 is set to happen Thursday night.
“Just because it connects by no means means the project is complete,” N.C. Department of Transportation spokesperson David Uchiyama said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
It will take about a week for the pour to harden, he said. The forms will be removed next week, probably Thursday.
The bridge deck has been built one side at a time by lifting pre-cast concrete sections and placing them in position alternating from one side of the pier to the other, a news release from the NCDOT said.
No public celebration of the milestone is planned, but the crews will probably celebrate.
“Couple high-fives and, ‘What’s next?'” he said.
Remaining operations revolve around building short sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway leading up to the bridge on both sides, the news release said. Other tasks include placing a 2-inch overlay on the deck, building a 5-foot sidewalk and adding stone masonry in specific locations, according to the news release.
Uchiyama emphasized the work will have zero impact to drivers.
“They can’t drive on it. We anticipate folks being able to drive on that bridge later this fall by leaf season,” Uchiyama said.
The new bridge was necessary to accommodate the I-26 widening project.