Structural engineers will put a pedestrian bridge over I-40 this weekend. Work crews will stay busy overnight Sunday to install the addition to the historic American Tobacco Trial. The bridge is a major step in adding four miles to the American Tobacco Trail that connects the existing portion to a stretch that ends at the Chatham County line.
Ed Venable, an engineer on the bridge placement project, says I-40 will have to be shut down to put this bridge -- now in four sections -- in place.
"There'll be a local detour so you'll have to exit on Fayetteville Road or on 751 and if you're commuting from state to state you'll see the sign out to use 147 as a bypass to completely miss the entire construction," Venable says.
The total cost of the project is $9 million. Engineers have targeted July as a completion date for the installation, and a grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new trail bridge is set for August.