‘It’s really exciting': Hawthorne Lane Bridge reopens to cyclists, pedestrians

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After years of delays and frustrations, the Hawthorne Lane Bridge is back open -- at least partly. It is open for bikes and people walking, but no cars.

The bridge was set to open earlier this month after years of work, delays and frustrations for motorists and nearby residents and businesses.

The city told residents in Elizabeth that the bridge now will not open for motorists until December. The concrete does not match design requirements, according to an inspection report.

Now that the bridge is open for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, officials warned it is an active construction zone and it is important to follow signs in the area for your safety.

“I think it’s really exciting,” resident Wilie Robinson said. “I’ve got a lot of friends that live over there and it’s kind of a pain to go all the way around to Plaza or to Central.”

[ALSO READ: Neighbors losing patience with Charlotte streetcar construction]

They also said the sidewalk could temporarily close in the future because of the ongoing construction, but residents will be notified of any closures.

The project has been delayed several times over the past 2 ½ years.

For perspective, the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston took less than two years to build, and the 7-mile bridge in the Florida Keys took four years, as did the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s.

[RELATED: Elizabeth neighbors exhausted after latest bridge construction delay]

Crews stopped work on the bridge for eight months last year because the contractor ordered the wrong size girders for the bridge. Opening the bridge was delayed again after contractors said they couldn’t get all the materials needed to maintain their work schedules.

They also said lane closures on Independence Boulevard contributed to the issues.

When the bridge is completed, streetcars will connect Johnson C. Smith University to Plaza Midwood on the 10-mile Gold Line Extension. City leaders said the contractors building the bridge have missed five deadlines.

Councilman Larken Egleston represents this side of town and said he is just as frustrated as everyone else by the continual delays. Residents and business owners call the constant construction and delays a massive headache and said they are fed up.

[MORE: Hawthorne Street Bridge construction stalls; beams need to be replaced]

“It feels like another setback every day, just never gonna get done,” resident Cowden Rayburn said.

“If it’s gonna be more where they think we’ll be closed and it’s going to minimize our customers and sales flow, yeah that’s never good news to us,” business manager Tiffany Stanford said.

Channel 9 reached out to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to ask if they have a plan to address the delay issue. While they said they’re getting more details, they also said liquidated damages are a part of the construction project contract process and it is ultimately up to the contractor to adhere to the provisions of a contract.

Hawthorne Lane Bridge construction to resume as more businesses close Hawthorne Lane Bridge construction to resume as more businesses close

‘No one is held accountable': Frustrations voiced over other delayed projects

Nicole Walton said she often feels like she lives in the construction on Trade Street in Matthews.

“Machinery banging, guys yelling and screaming,” she told Channel 9. “It’s uncomfortable to be in the backyard with a bunch of people staring at you.”

The widening project near Weddington Road should have been completed two years ago, which also has Matthews Town Commissioner Jeff Miller shaking his head.

“Two years delay is just too much,” he said on Monday. “It seems like no one is held accountable, whereas in the real business world, people are held accountable.”

Delays on local projects seem to be a bigger problem. Channel 9 pulled a list of fines for contractors from the state for things like lane closures and delays. On the Trade Street project, the state has so far withheld $321,000.

“I’m disgusted,” Walton said. “I’m completely disgusted at the waste of money. It’s our taxes.”

Other major projects that have money withheld include the new Mount Holly-Huntersville Road “continuous flow” intersection with $166,000.

The Interstate 277 rehab between 10th Street and I-77 has had $747,000 withheld.

And the Interstate 77 express lane project has nearly $5 million in violations -- most of which is being disputed by the contractor.

In terms of bridges, the Sugar Creek Bridge took longer than planned and racked up $20,000 in fines.

Cox Media Group