State highway officials said repair work on a bridge deck on a busy highway in Charlotte exposed safety issues that led to its closure Tuesday for a year and a half.
Driver safety is at risk on Shopton Road on Coffey Creek in southwest Charlotte, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Charlotte-based contractor Blythe Development LLC will spend $6.8 million to replace the 50-year-old two-lane bridge. The state awarded the contract in September.
Driver safety tips for bridge replacement
NCDOT planned to close the bridge next month but has accelerated the closure for driver safety after repairs were made in recent weeks, officials said.
The bridge will remain closed through the summer of 2027, according to NCDOT.
Drivers will be detoured onto Steele Creek Road/NC 160, Interstate 485 and South Tryon Street/NC 49 before returning to Shopton Road.
The new bridge will be 135 feet long, with three 11-foot lanes and a sidewalk on each side.
The contract also calls for planting vegetation by early 2028, officials said.