Daily Facts and Opinions 26 September 2010

Good morning.
Update on the U.S. 17 bridge over New River in Jacksonville.
aka, Buddy Phillips Bridge.
You know, the one the AAA of the Carolinas reported as the Number 4 WORST bridge in North Carolina in 2007.
Crews continue to work diligently to remove the existing structure. And, as of today, about one-half of the southbound lane side of the bridge has been removed.
The two other lanes have been designated as one-lane north, one-lane south to handle the daily traffic. So far, it hasn't had much impact on the flow of traffic through Jacksonville. With the ByPass bridge, it seems that many drivers have elected to take that route.
But. The true impact's gonna hit motorists soon, when the rest of the bridge is closed to continue the total replacement process. No doubt, Old Bridge Street will pick up some of the local traffic. And, the only way to access Old BRidge Street will be through downtown Jacksonville.

That should be fun.

Workers took the weekend off. And, to make sure no one tampered with their Carolina Skiff, they hoisted the craft high in the sky.