(Source: NCDOT)WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - For the second time, the North Carolina Department of Transportation shut down the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. Engineers say they are working to replace the cables that help to pull up the draw bridge.
Two teams of 30 people are working around the clock to replace all 64 cables. Engineers say the last time the cables were replaced was 40 years ago, so the work is needed now.
"Over time it's going to get to the point where the cables wouldn't operate, wouldn't function the way they are supposed to - with new cables we shouldn't have that problem," said Ben Hughes with the Department of Transportation. He says replacing the cables is an large project.
"They came in and jacked up the bridge up a couple of feet to relieve the cables," said Hughes. "Then they cut the cables at that point with the bridge secured and then once they removed the cables, they came in and replaced it with the new cables."
He says crews are also working on smaller scale projects, like repairing the motors.
Officials are closing one lane in each directon every day during the week of October 15th--Monday through Friday. It starts at nine in the morning until three in the afternoon. This will allow crews to make the electrical and mechanical repairs.
Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.
