The North Carolina Highway 86 bridge over Interstate 85 in Hillsborough re-opened on Monday afternoon, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson. The bridge had been closed for repairs since May 31, when a tractor trailer carrying construction equipment struck and damaged a steel support.

The NCDOT initially estimated repairs would be complete by the end of June and kept the southbound lane of the bridge open. However, the bridge eventually closed to all traffic and repairs were delayed by severe weather during the planned work period.

“It turns out there is a very small number of contractors in the entire country that do this kind of work,” Hillsborough mayor Jenn Weaver said at the time. “And so when we had bad weather here, rather than hanging out for a week until the weather was better, that team had to go to another project.”

During the bridge’s closure, signed detours on the site directed motorists to use I-85 North to exit 170, then travel on I-85 South to exit 165.

Now that the bridge is open again, Orange County motorists can only hope its luck takes a turn for the better. The bridge also closed for repairs in September of 2022, when a tractor trailer crashed into the bridge and caught fire. The bridge was closed for several days while repairs were made.

 

Featured image via Google Maps

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