Unless you are a distance runner or road biker, you may not think much about road bridges being pedestrian friendly. But, as we work to connect the communities of Burke County, bridge crossings are a big part of that. As a cyclist, our BRTA Board President Val Scott keeps a check on NCDOT for updates.
Rhodhiss Burke Caldwell Connector
After several years of asking for this bridge to be re-striped for bicycle and pedestrian safety, it is finally happening. Town Manager Rick Justice caught NCDOT in the act of putting new paint down. Safety signs are coming next. While technically not on the BRT route, connections within communities are important.
Hildebran Exit 119
Plans are in the works for a new bridge that will cross I-40 at Exit 119. We are keeping this bridge on NCDOT’s radar for pedestrian access as the trail leaves downtown Hildebran to reach Henry River Mill Village and the Wilderness Gateway State Trail.
Rutherford College Castle Bridge – Future
The replacement bridge will have pedestrian and bicycle access. The replacement bridge will have a 10ft wide shared use path on the west side (left side, as travelling south to north) along Connelly Springs Rd. A concrete barrier will be provided on the bridge and be placed between vehicular and pedestrian/bike use. There will be approximately 60ft of shared use path constructed on both ends of the bridge.
Rutherford College Castle Bridge – Old
BRTA is continuing to request the current bridge stay in place and be a flowering bridge – for garden clubs, school clubs, etc to show they skills.
Rutherford College Exit 113
Does the Exit 113 Bridge look more narrow? NCDOT says: The project was actually not a bridge replacement, rather a major rehab. While there was some work under the bridge to make way for the bridge deck, the main columns of the substructure were not removed. This project was to address the height of the bridge over I-40 and to address the deteriorating bridge deck. we were able to widen the bridge some, but additional widening needed for pedestrian facilities would have required complete replacement, which would not have been feasible with our limited funding. In the future, when the bridge is up for replacement, consideration will be given for adding additional width for sidewalk placement.
Valdese Exit 111 – Repair
Closed Starting June 16 – This will be a 4 week closure for “bed repair” is the word from NCDOT.
Valdese Exit 111 – Future
The future plan is to move the Exit 111 bridge to the west and it will be bike-ped friendly. While Wilderness Gateway State Trail will come over Mineral Springs Mountain in to Valdese, our goal is to have a Gateway to WNC center at the site.
