CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The collapse of an interstate bridge outside Seattle raises questions about the safety of bridges in North Carolina. It also got the attention of bridge engineers for North Carolina Department of Transportation.
"The first thing you think is 'what is the cause?'" said Garland Haywood, who manages bridges for NCDOT in the Charlotte area.
Haywood said it does not appear as though the design of the bridge that failed in Washington is similar to bridges in North Carolina. It appears the collapse was caused by a truck hitting a support structure.
Still, bridges in NC still deserve scrutiny. A list on the NCDOT website shows hundreds of bridges and overpasses in Mecklenburg County. Among them are 23 bridges labeled as being "structurally deficient" by the federal government.
Haywood said that doesn't mean they're dangerous, but he said it does indicate the bridges have defects. He pointed out cracks in the concrete pillars holding up Interstate 277 over Brevard Street and rust on the steel beams below. Both, he said, are being targeted aggressively by the NCDOT.
The new administration of Gov. Pat McCrory has made a priority of fixing infrastructure projects across the state. Haywood said that's already happening.
"We've got a host of different ways we can go about addressing the issue and we are doing that," he said.
WSOC
