For streetcar, Hawthorne bridge over Independence is closing Monday for 20 months

The city of Charlotte will close the Hawthorne Lane bridge over Independence Boulevard starting Monday morning for construction of the Gold Line streetcar.

The Charlotte Area Transit System is demolishing the existing bridge and building a new one that can handle the weight of vehicle traffic along with streetcars. The new bridge won’t be ready until the end of March 2019, CATS said.

When CATS began planning the second phase of the Gold Line, it thought the existing bridge would be strong enough for the streetcars. But engineering work showed that a new bridge was needed.

During construction, some parts of Independence Boulevard may also be closed.

Hawthorne Lane between Hay Street and Hawthorne Bridge Court will be closed to all through traffic. Motorists and pedestrians should use East 7th Street and Central Avenue instead.

The second phase of the Gold Line costs $150 million. The line will be extended over Independence Boulevard to Sunnyside Avenue to the east. To the west, the line will be expanded to Johnson C. Smith University.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 3:17 PM with the headline "For streetcar, Hawthorne bridge over Independence is closing Monday for 20 months."