Editor: Ashley Steele 

Two functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges crossing the Neuse River in Craven County, North Carolina needed replacing.  However, both bridges are in the middle of wetland and marsh areas with protected wildlife species.

In order to handle the delicate local fish habitats, special measures were taken to keep these locations stable.  Sanford Contractors out of Lemon County were awarded the $13.8 Million job.  After over 50 years in business, Sanford is no stranger to jobs that have environmental impacts.  When it came time to replace the 400- and 600-foot bridges, they turned to ICE® to provide environmentally safe equipment.  

An ICE® I-62 Diesel Impact Pile Hammer with a concrete cap was used to drive 36" caissons into the riverbed.  The concrete cap was instrumental in making sure the vibrations from the driving of the piles did not disturb the fish in the river.  These fish mitigation measures are becoming more prevalent in today's construction environment to protect wildlife.

Once the two replacement bridges are built, the old bridges will be demolished from the top down, pulling existing piles out of the riverbed.  This job will affect roughly 1,800 commuters a day.  This is an ongoing project with work to be completed by late 2024.

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com