The North Carolina Department of Transportation selected Zachry Construction Corporation as the prime contractor for the U.S. 29/U.S. 74 bridge replacement over the Catawba River and the associated N.C. 7/U.S. 74 improvements in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties.
The $78 million project will strengthen a critical transportation connection between Gaston and Mecklenburg counties while improving capacity, mobility and multimodal connectivity along Wilkinson Boulevard/U.S. 29-74. The corridor also serves as an important regional alternate route when emergencies divert traffic from Interstate 85.
The project replaces the existing Catawba River crossing with a new 11-span, 1,145-foot-long bridge with six 12-foot-wide travel lanes and two 10-foot-wide multi-use paths separated from traffic. The improvements will eliminate a significant corridor bottleneck and provide greater navigational clearance over Lake Wylie. The new bridge will incorporate drilled piers, steel piles, prestressed concrete girders, a reinforced concrete deck, barrier rail, lighting, utility conduit, bridge coatings and architectural treatments. It will also connect Gaston College, Kevin Loftin Riverfront Park, the ISWA Nature Preserve and Belmont’s growing greenway network.
At N.C. 7/Catawba Street, Zachry will reconstruct an intersection where peak-hour congestion currently causes backups extending toward the bridge. Improvements include a reduced-conflict intersection configuration and turn-lane improvements designed to better accommodate traffic movements through the corridor.
Zachry’s scope includes construction of the new river crossing and associated roadway improvements, grading, drainage, paving, signals, utilities, erosion control and maintenance of traffic. Construction will require carefully sequenced bridge and roadway operations while maintaining this important regional connection and accommodating recreational and emergency navigation on Lake Wylie.
Together, the bridge, roadway and intersection improvements will increase capacity and resiliency along U.S. 29/74 while delivering safer, more reliable connections for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and waterway users.
