Plans to rehabilitate and reconstruct four historic bridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina would require detours for up to two years at three spots on the scenic roadway in Alleghany County and a fourth in Ashe County.
The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration are evaluating the impact and accepting public comments about the bridge repair projects through September 10. The two alternatives being evaluated are “no build” and “replace/rehabilitate.”
The work is expected to take “one to two years” and require 15-20-mile detours at each site, the required public notice of the project says. There is no timeline for the project at this point.
“All four bridges were part of the original motor road construction. The bridges have been deemed structurally deficient with deteriorating decks and substandard-height bridge rails. The proposed projects would address structural deficiencies and improve safety by meeting current roadway design standards, including installation of crash-worthy railings.”
Officially the work is combined by county as two projects. The bridges are:
- Big Pine Creek Bridge No. 3, Milepost 223.78 in Alleghany County
- Big Pine Creek Bridge No. 6, Milepost 224.7 in Alleghany County
- Brush Creek Bridge No. 1, Milepost 227.45 in Alleghany County
- Laurel Fork Bridge (NPS photo at right), Milepost 248.9 in Ashe County.
For the three Alleghany County bridges, the NPS says, “reconstruction and rehabilitation work would maintain the historic character of the bridges to the extent possible.” In Ashe County, the larger Laurel Fork Bridge would be removed and replaced, with the new span “designed with consideration given to the historic character of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the original bridge.”
Comments can be made online at the NPS Public Comment web page or by mail to: Ryan Kimberley, Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166. Comments must be entered or postmarked by September 10, 2018, to be considered.
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