NCDOT BR 73 over the Straits at Harkers Island on SR 1535

NCDOT plans to replace the Earl C. Davis Memorial Bridge (Bridge No. 73) and Bridge No. 96 that connect the town of Straits on the mainland to Harkers Island. The bridges have been in use for over 45 years and are due for replacement to improve access and structural capacity. NCDOT decided that Bridge No. 73 would be replaced and Bridge No. 96 would stay in place for pedestrian access to the Straits Fishing Pier.

S&ME performed the subsurface investigation and inventory report for the Earl C. Davis Memorial Bridge replacement. The investigation included 28 borings, one at each interior bent and end bent, to depths ranging from 30 to over 100 feet below the existing surface / mudline.

We used our specialty drill rig carriers during the subsurface investigation, including our amphibious marsh buggy and barge. The team navigated changing tides, moving water, and environmental concerns. Our field team was able to mobilize quickly and complete the field work before the April 1 shellfish moratorium beginning.

S&ME also conducted a soil evaluation and in-situ saturated hydraulic conductivity permeability testing in the vicinity of two proposed infiltration basins. The field work included performing five hand auger borings and recording the soil morphological conditions, estimating the seasonal high water table, and measuring the depth to observed water table.