Falls of Neuse Extension / Widening to begin this month (Raleigh: 2013, price)

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Wakefield cheers project's start - News - MidtownRaleighNews.com

Don't hold your breath though. The first part of the project will widen the portion of the road north of Fonville Road (Near Falls Fire Station) and replace the Neuse River Bridge. That part is not expected to be finished until December of 2011. Then they will widen the rest of the road south of Fonville road in Phase II which will not be completed until spring of 2013.

[jeffs555]

and replace the Neuse River Bridge.

The way I understand it, it will be a new bridge at a different location and not a replacement for the existing bridge. After the first phase is completed it will provide an alternate path around the existing bridge so the state can remove and replace the existing bridge. Couldn't find a map of the project and not sure of the exact path, but here is approximately where I think it is going to go.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by jeffs555

The way I understand it, it will be a new bridge at a different location and not a replacement for the existing bridge. After the first phase is completed it will provide an alternate path around the existing bridge so the state can remove and replace the existing bridge. Couldn't find a map of the project and not sure of the exact path, but here is approximately where I think it is going to go.

Good catch. You are absolutely right.

[dansdrive]

My understanding is the new bridge will connect New Falls of Neuse over the Falls River. The old bridge will be removed and not replaced. This will open the area up more for white water rafting when the lake level permits. It will also allow more cars to travel from Capital Blvd down to New Falls of Neuse. The nice quiet Wakefield communities that line the now dead end New Falls of Neuse may not like the thousands of cars per day that will be using the new connection but that is progress.

[jeffs555]

The old bridge will be removed and not replaced.

Everything I have read says the existing bridge will be replaced. The DOT TIP number for the bridge replacement is B-4660 and here is the project page for it. https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/Project...5-91032ee06acc
It doesn't give any details except for the contract price of 3 million, but this page from the City of Raleigh says that after the bridge for New Falls is built, the DOT will replace the existing bridge.
City of Raleigh | Falls of Neuse Road Realignment and Widening (http://www.raleigh-nc.org/portal/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_306_202_0_43/http%3B/pt03/dig_web_content/category/Resident/Street_Improvement_Projects/Projects/Falls_of_Neuse/Cat-MCH-2008724-143324-Falls_of_Neuse_Road_Wide.html - broken link)

I did find the TIP number for the New Falls bridge and it is U-4901.
https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/project...spx?tip=U-4901

PS Here is the DOT map for the New Falls bridge and project.
https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/Project...shx?tip=U-4901

[jeffs555]

This will open the area up more for white water rafting when the lake level permits.

It might be that the replacement bridge will be more self supporting and have fewer or no pillars in the river. I imagine if/when they release a lot of water from the dam it would be really hard on concrete pillars in the river.

In searching for info about the bridge I found this page with a lot of old photos of the falls area and thought some of you may be interested. Falls Community Website - Wake County, North Carolina
I remember riding my motorcycle out many times to watch the progress when they were building the dam. Wish I had been into picture taking back then.