It won’t exactly be London Bridge falling down, but the Alfred A. Cunningham drawbridge into downtown New Bern closed at 3 p.m. on May 15, 2007. The nostalgic bridge opened amid pomp, ceremony and speeches in February of 1955.There was a festive, curious and somewhat nostalgic crowd of onlookers, taking photographs and reminiscing about the old New Bern bridge, which bore the name of the nation’s first Marine aviator.
Before the old bridge is torn down to make room for its modern replacement, workers will actually create a next-door neighbor. Johnny Metcalfe, N.C. Department of Transportation construction engineer, said the first order of business for the $39 million project is to create a work bridge next to the existing structure.
“Folks will not see the bridge tumbling down right away,” he said. He said actual demolition of the bridge won’t begin until at least July 1. Metcalfe said the temporary display signs along the highways have been updated with alternate routes to the downtown area. Other permanent signs have already been erected to direct traffic away from the downtown bridge. The bridge needed a lot of maintenance, and there was lead paint which could have caused a hazard into the water.
The entire project is expected to take 2 1/2 years, with the new bridge tentatively scheduled to open in November of 2009, in time for New Bern’s 300th birthday celebration in 2010.
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