90,000-pound girder -- first of four -- arrives for new Cunningham drawbridge

The first of four 90,000-pound girders that will make up the double leaves of the new Cunningham drawbridge over the Trent River arrived in New Bern on Monday morning.

The 100-foot girder was transported on a 160-foot trailer that came from Wisconsin. Because of its length, the girder had to be taken to the Union Point Park side of the bridge by a route that included Queen and Hancock streets, with a police escort.

Johnny Metcalf, resident Department of Transportation engineer for the project, said a second girder is scheduled to arrive today. The girders will make up the south leaf of the bascule bridge, which lifts upward to allow boat traffic.

Metcalf said the girders for the north pier will arrive later.

He said the $40 million demolition and replacement project was on schedule for a Nov. 1, 2009, completion.

"That is the schedule that the contractor is going by," he said. "It does not have it finishing earlier than that."

Metcalf said the project contractor, Balfour Beatty of Wilmington, has a Feb. 15 deadline for finishing work in the water. On that date, no construction is allowed in the water because of a mandatory state fish moratorium. The moratorium, to protect spawning fish, lasts until the end of June.

"We've not had any (cost) overruns," Metcalf said. "Everything has gone well."

The bridge is scheduled for completion in time for the city of New Bern's 300th-anniversary celebration in 2010.