Years in the making, work on a new NC 50 bridge in Garner gets underway soon

The 71-year-old bridge that carries Benson Road over U.S. 70 in Garner will soon be replaced.

The N.C. Department of Transportation says contractors will build the new bridge alongside the old, so that Benson Road, which is also N.C. 50, can remain open. The old bridge will be demolished when the new one opens, likely in the fall of 2026, according to NCDOT.

NCDOT has been planning for this project for years. Not only is the bridge nearing the end of its useful life, but the state wants to improve traffic flow around the interchange.

To do that, NCDOT is simplifying the exit ramp from westbound U.S. 70 by eliminating Umstead Lane as a two-way street and allowing drivers direct access to Benson Road. Hilltop Avenue will become a cul-de-sac where it now meets Umstead.

The state bought and demolished five houses to make way for the reconfigured ramp.

The new bridge will be three lanes, like the current one, with two travel lanes and a center turn lane. But unlike the current bridge, it will also have sidewalks on either side.

NCDOT presented two options for overhauling the interchange in 2018: one with traffic lights at each end and one with roundabouts instead of lights.

The roundabouts would have taken up more real estate, including additional houses, and would have closed the intersection of Circle Drive and Benson Road. Based in part on feedback it received in 2018, the department opted to forgo the roundabouts in favor of traffic lights.

At the time, NCDOT hoped to begin construction in 2019. Several factors, including a drop in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges moving utilities, led to a five-year delay, according to spokeswoman Kim Deaner.

The state awarded the $11.6 million construction contract to Blythe Construction of Charlotte, which made the lowest qualified bid.