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I-85 lanes near Charlotte to close for repairs to bridge smashed by truck driver

A contractor is scheduled to close two lanes of Interstate 85 South near Charlotte to finish repairs to a bridge damaged by a truck driver, officials said.
A contractor is scheduled to close two lanes of Interstate 85 South near Charlotte to finish repairs to a bridge damaged by a truck driver, officials said. The Sun News

A contractor is scheduled to close two lanes of Interstate 85 South near Charlotte late Sunday to finish repairs to a bridge that a truck driver smashed into this year, state highway officials said.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday, crews from Dan R. Dalton Inc. will close the two left lanes of I-85 South between Exits 26 and 27 to inspect and repair the Belmont-Mount Holly Road bridge​ over I-85. ​

Company specializes in straightening bridges

The lanes are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, state Department of Transportation officials said in a news release Friday.

“Repairs will involve heat-straightening the beams, where crews will heat the steel so it expands and use restraints and other tools to restore the original shape of the beams.” according to an NCDOT statement.

Based in Washington state, the contractor specializes in heat-straightening damaged steel bridges and container cranes, according to its website.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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