CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first signs of the $74 million Carter Bridge rehabilitation project on Interstate 64 in Charleston are starting to be seen with more prep work to be evident in the weeks to come.
The state DOH has hired Triton Construction to replace the bridge deck on the state’s busiest bridge along with repairs to the bridge’s substructure and super structure.
What motorists will see first is construction work to create lanes of traffic to get around the work.
“Between now and November there will be construction of crossovers and median barriers, as well as removing and installing temporary median barriers,” DOH spokesman Brent Walker said.
The lane construction work is scheduled to take place at night. Traffic, which will be reduced two lanes, will begin using those new lanes later this year before the actual deck replacement begins in late winter or early spring, Walker said.
“It’s really going to be kind of the set-up because we are doing this in phases,” he said. “It’s going to create kind of a contra-flow feel in traffic flow.”
The Carter Bridge, also known as the Fort Hill Bridge, was built in the early 1970s. The bridge deck has never been replaced.
Walker said the work to be done is officially a rehabilitation project because crews will also make repairs where necessary to the steel that forms the bridge.
Walker said there have been meetings and conversations with businesses, government entities and first responders in an effort to cover how the bridge work may impact various scenarios.
“We’re trying to be extremely transparent with this. We know the effect it will have on travelers,” Walker said. “We don’t know it will minimize the impact but we certainly want folks to plan ahead.”
The biggest tool to help motorists is a website dedicated solely to the project, Walker said.
“That’s i64forthillbridge.com,” Walker said. “It gives project details and allows motorists to ask questions.”
The existing bridge deck still has its problems. There were emergency pothole repairs this week. Walker said they have to get by for a few more months.
“It’s clear we’re going to need some kind of repair to make it through the winter and on into the first phase of this project where we can all feel comfortable. We don’t know what that looks like but until then we’ll continue to make the repairs as needed,” Walker said.
The City of Charleston closed its skatepark earlier this week, which is located underneath the eastbound section of the bridge, in preparation for the upcoming work.
The bridge work is scheduled to be finished by December 2027. There are incentives for Triton Construction if the work is finished earlier.
The Carter Bridge carries about 100,000 vehicles a day.