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July 24, 2023

The team at the in Harkers Island, North Carolina, is celebrating a major milestone! After nearly 22 months of work, the team recently placed the 115th and final girder on the project.

The final loads of 100-foot girders were transferred via truck, which came with a series of challenges. To reach the project site, the 68-ton trucks needed to cross the old Earl C. Memorial bridge, which is load restricted with a capacity of 37 tons in each direction.

To guarantee a safe crossing, the project team worked closely with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to execute a flagging operation. The operation allowed for a controlled crossing of the bridge for the girder truck only, ensuring no third-party vehicles were on the bridge at the same time. This kept weight on the bridge under capacity and allowed the trucks to be delivered directly to the lift location.

This use of a flagging operation was the latest of innovative solutions the team developed to eliminate the need for double handling the girders in transport. For example, the team previously .

With the girders in place, the team has moved on to pouring bridge decks. They have already poured 22 of the total 28 decks, with the final deck pour slated for fall of this year. The project is expected to be complete in fall of 2025.