AHOSKIE – The NC Department of Transportation hopes to begin a highway construction project to replace the NC 42 bridge west of Ahoskie sometime by 2015, though they hope to begin some aspects of the project this calendar year.

At its regular monthly meeting, the Ahoskie Town Council approved Town Manager Tony Hammond authorizing and executing the required paperwork required of the town so the project may begin.

NCDOT officials say the project is tentatively set to begin sometime in the late spring of 2015 so as to keep any disruptions or delays with school-bus traffic on the roadway to a minimum.

“In my discussion with DOT it’s going to take four-to-six months for this bridge replacement,” Hammond told the Council.

NCDOT will pay the town of Ahoskie $1,150 in required permanent easement/right-of-way fees prior to the start of the project.

South Academy Street north-eastbound traffic headed into Ahoskie toward Ahoskie Creek Park Recreation Complex or Vidant Roanoke Chowan Hospital and other points east would be detoured onto Johnny Mitchell Road and then onto Lee Jernigan Road. Westbound traffic’s route would be Bonner Bridge Road to NC Highway 11 to NC Highway 561.

Hammond said based on his information the NC 42 bridge, in its current state had been deemed one of the six worst bridges in the state of North Carolina.  Elizabeth H. Northcott, NCDOT Right-Of-Way Agent, present at the Council meeting concurred with that evaluation.

“It’s old and falling apart,” Northcott told Council.

Town Attorney W.H. ‘Buddy” Jones did inquire about the water re-use project and how it might be affected during the construction project, but was re-assured there would be no conflict or delay.

With no further discussion, Councilman Rev. C. David Stackhouse made a motion before Council that the Town Manager be authorized to execute the appropriate documents to NCDOT.   The motion was seconded by Councilman Maurice Vann and passed unanimously.