American Tobacco Trail Bridge Opening Delayed

The long-awaited opening of the American Tobacco Trail Bridge over Interstate 40 has been delayed again.

The public is invited to join American Tobacco Trail aficionados and City and State leaders to celebrate the completion of the trail into Chatham County. While the celebration was initially planned as a ribbon cutting for the bridge opening, the completion of the bridge is delayed due to a combination of construction and design flaws with the safety fence, according to Marvin Williams, director of the City’s Public Works Department.

“The City is as disappointed as everyone else about this delay, but the safety of those using the bridge is always our first consideration,” Williams said. “Despite the bridge delay, the completion of the N.C. Highway 54 southward to the Chatham County line section of the 22-mile long trail is a major milestone of the $11 million project that deserves to be celebrated.”

The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 12 at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Southpoint Cinemas at the Streets at Southpoint, 6910 Fayetteville Road. Slated to speak, pending the lift of the federal government shutdown, is Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak. Joining him are City of Durham Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell; U.S. Representative David Price; N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata; and East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano.

According to Williams, an issue with the pedestrian safety fencing was discovered during a recent inspection of the posts that are a part of the fencing. The fabricated angle of the fence posts, constructed by an out-of-state contractor, as well as the condition of the factory-installed paint was unsatisfactory. The repairs could cost anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000, but will not be incurred by the City.

“This is an important safety issue, and we can’t open this bridge until corrections are made by the contractor. At this point, we anticipate opening the bridge in December 2013,” Williams said. “We realize that limiting access to the bridge at this time is unfortunate and will be an inconvenience to all users. However, the ability to protect pedestrians as well as properly maintain this bridge for all current and future users is also important, and we ask for patience and understanding as we make sure this gets done correctly.”

Funding for the construction project was provided from a variety of sources, including federal funds from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO, and the City of Durham Sidewalk Bond fund. Funding for the October 12 celebration is being provided by the East Coast Greenway Alliance, Performance Bicycle, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, and N.C Rails-Trails.

“The American Tobacco Trail spans 22 miles across three counties and, once the bridge is opened, will complete the missing link of this important transportation corridor as well as improve users’ access and connectivity,” said Williams. “While we had hoped the bridge would be open for this event, we still feel it’s important to honor all those that helped make this project a reality as well as celebrate the successful work that’s been completed on the trail.”

For information about the American Tobacco Trail project, click here.

About the Public Works Department
The City of Durham Public Works Department provides a wide range of services, including street maintenance, engineering design, development review and stormwater quality and infrastructure maintenance. The department also oversees street resurfacing and sidewalk projects. The department plans and executes the City’s winter weather and natural disaster plans. Public Works serves as a steward of the City’s physical assets and ensures that residents live in a safe, secure, and thriving community. For more information, visit this website.

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Durham Installs New American Tobacco Trail Bridge April 28

Those who love Durham's outdoor offerings are about to have a new way to enjoy more of the American Tobacco Trail. The long-awaited installation of the pedestrian bridge over Interstate 40 will begin overnight this weekend and motorists are asked to take note of planned traffic detours.

On Sunday, April 28 between midnight and 7 a.m., the City of Durham’s contractor, Blythe Construction, Inc., will close Interstate 40 between N.C. Highway 751 and Fayetteville Road to set the new bridge in place on its foundations by crane. In the following weeks the City’s contractor will begin installing the bridge deck, fencing, lighting, and other elements. Four partially pre-assembled sections of the 270 foot long bridge arrived last week and are now being assembled on the northern shoulder of Interstate 40 in preparation for the April 28 set date.

Local traffic will exit Interstate 40 and return at the next exit using Renaissance Parkway heading east and N.C. Highway 54 heading west. Major through-traffic will be informed via message boards to use N.C. Highway 147 to avoid the local traffic detour.

The bridge is still on schedule for completion in July 2013, despite the recent foundation difficulties. The City’s contractor discovered that their surveyor made an error in the layout of the foundation, and four of the eight bridge piers were 2.5 feet too high. The resolution of the problem required a quick engineered solution by the City’s consultant engineering firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff. The correction used a shallow cut into to the concrete with a saw at the proper elevation and jackhammers to remove concrete above the cut, being careful not to disturb the steel rebar cage. All repairs have been completed and the cost of the repair was borne by the City’s contractor.

Once completed later this summer, this $9 million construction project will extend the American Tobacco Trail from its current end point on N.C. Highway 54 at Fayetteville Street to the Chatham County line. The length of trail to be constructed by this project is approximately 4.2 miles and includes the pedestrian bridge over Interstate 40. The pedestrian bridge is located just west of Fayetteville Street and the connection to the trail heading south will be located near the Streets at Southpoint Mall. Funding for the project is being provided from a variety of sources including federal funds from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the City of Durham Sidewalk Bond fund.

To learn more about this project or to view conceptual images of the new bridge click here or contact Contract Management Supervisor Edward Venable, PE, with the City’s Public Works Department at (919) 560-4326, ext. 30233 or by email.

About the Public Works Department
The City of Durham Public Works Department provides a wide range of services, including street maintenance, engineering design, development review and stormwater quality and infrastructure maintenance. The department also oversees street resurfacing and sidewalk projects. The department plans and executes the City’s winter weather and natural disaster plans. Public Works serves as a steward of the City’s physical assets and ensures that residents live in a safe, secure, and thriving community. For more information, visit the department online.

For more information on trails and parks in Durham, visit this website.

American Tobacco Trail Bridge Construction to Move Forward

Durham is exceptionally fortunate with regards to public parks, trails and spaces for outdoor activity...and now it seems to be getting moreso.

Following discussion at its August 4, 2011 work session meeting, the Durham City Council remains committed to completing the American Tobacco Trail and bridge, despite the more than $2 million difference between July bids and earlier projected construction costs.

According to City Manager Tom Bonfield, the project is a priority for the City because of its strategic location, “serving as a major and heavily used north-south route for pedestrians and bicyclists. The construction of the new section would also carry the trail to the commercial sector south of U.S. Interstate 40 and to several neighborhoods in southern Durham.”

The Public Works Department, responsible for construction of the bridge and trail, recommends that the entire project be completed, but in two phases, in order to identify needed funding. According to Director Marvin Williams, construction would begin with part of the trail from N.C. Highway 54 and include the new bridge over U.S. Interstate 40, using existing funding of $5.8 million, with the project being awarded to low bidder during the July process. Additional funds of about $800,000 would be obtained using existing funds designated for other projects. A contract will be recommended to City Council for approval within 30 days.

A later contract would be issued for the remainder of the trail, south of U.S. Interstate 40 to the Chatham County line.  The Public Works Department has recommended approaching the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to consider reprioritizing funding currently authorized for sidewalks and bike lanes. Both the MPO and the N.C. Department of Transportation would have to agree, and the process would likely take about six months. Even though the second contract would be awarded nearly a year following the contract for the bridge, both projects might likely be completed at the same time due to the time needed to construct the bridge.

Since MPO funding typically comes as an 80/20 match, approximately $3 million would be needed from the MPO and about $760,000 from the City. More information about the source of the funding and construction needs will be forthcoming following a more detailed analysis.

More information about this project can be found here.