
While winter has its virtues, those of us who prefer tank tops to sweaters crave warm temps. If you’re counting the days until spring, here’s something for you to look forward to.
Wright Memorial Bridge Update
Work Continues on the Wright Memorial Bridge |
While recent conditions have drawn the daily work to a stop, surprisingly the contractor was able to get in many work days up until recently and it has resulted in the project being more than 1/3rd completed at this time.One of the ideas that provided extra time was the addition of simplistic wind screens which protected the work area. These screens are simply large pieces of plywood, propped up against the side of the bridge to limit wind flow over the bridge deck and promote temperature effectiveness from the sun.The $6.3 million dollar project is an extremely involved process. The pavement being used – latex concrete – is more expensive and complicated to work with than normal surfacing products, but its lifespan and upkeep is significantly better than traditional surfacing.Locals have watched with interest the process of construction which first involves removing the bridge deck with saws that shoot a stream of liquid at 20,000 psi to strip the surface to a consistent level. All water used in the process has to be recaptured and cannot fall into the sound. That means a steady stream of water trucks are lined up on the bridge to provide and then recapture the water used in the process. The waste material is then hauled away from the project and can be used in area fields as a nutrient since the substance contains a great deal of lime.Originally the North Carolina Department of Transportation discussed this as a two-year project, but the contractor is confident the project will be complete by May of this year. A key to that prediction is future weather conditions, but so far it would seem they are a bit ahead of schedule.
No snow, but we do have a Snowy Owl!
Photo by Sam Bland |
As our neighbors to the north are currently drenched in snow, we have no snow to report here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. However, recent sightings of a Snowy Owl have birders and nature enthusiasts excited about its appearance. It has been a number of years since the last sighting of this beautiful bird along the coast of North Carolina. They have usually not traveled this far south, so there is no wonder the excitement level is high for those who track this bird!=&0=&