Lane closures on Central Boulevard continue as repairs to the Aiken Bridge near an end. Weather permitting, repairs are expected to be completed within the next two to three weeks.
Until then, the right northbound and southbound lanes will remain closed between Memorial Drive and Riverside Drive to allow for completion of the bridge repairs.
The lane closures will be in effect 24/7. Motorists are urged to slow down and be alert to the altered traffic patterns or consider an alternate route
Bridge repairs began in early May with the closure of the inside or passing lanes, restricting motorists to one lane of travel both northbound and southbound. In early June, the contractor, which is Haymes Brothers Inc. of Chatham, shifted the lane closures to the current configuration.
The bridge, which was built in 1970 to carry traffic over the Dan River, was scheduled for major rehabilitation. Major bridge repairs generally are due every 20 years. For the Aiken Bridge, the repairs include patching of the deck, replacing expansion joints and applying epoxy sealer to fill cracks.
Last year, the city carried out major repairs to the Central Boulevard bridge over Riverside Drive. Next summer, the city has scheduled major repairs for the bridge over Sandy Creek.
The city maintains 41 bridges. Each bridge is inspected every two years either by a staff engineer or by a private contractor.