Raleigh – Bids for the now-third planned section of Corridor K improvements through Graham County were unsealed Dec. 20.
And for the first time since “letting” (awarding of contracts) began Aug. 16, a local contractor is in the mix.
Adams Contracting Company, Inc. outbid Sevierville, Tenn.-based Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. for the rights to improve N.C. 143 at Stecoah Gap to its intersection with N.C. 28, where “Section CC” will continue its facelift to the southbound crossing with Stecoah Road. Adams Contracting’s bid of $67,387,346.29 was roughly $4.5 million lower than Blalock & Sons’ $71,889,086.13.
Adams Contracting placed a $48,750,475.24 bid on “Section A” – 5.9 miles, from Five Points Road in Robbinsville to Beech Creek Road on N.C. 143 – but Franklin-based Watson Contracting, Inc.’s $47.5-million pitch won out over Adams and four other regional contractors from North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Only two firms delivered estimates on the most complex strip of the plan: “Section B,” a 3.911-mile strip that runs from Beech Creek Road to Stecoah Gap. Blalock & Sons prevailed in the Sept. 20 letting, with an entry of $116,407,729.70 beating out Charleston, Tenn.-based Wright Brothers Construction Company’s $130,012.832.96.
The hefty estimate can largely be attributed to the $5 million land bridge that is planned to cross over the highway at Stecoah Gap – a popular destination on the Appalachian Trail. The bridge will allow both wildlife and hikers to safely cross over the road – which will be expanded to four lanes on both sides of the structure, as well – without obstructing vehicle travel.
Letting for “Section C” was originally planned for Oct. 18, but was delayed twice by the N.C. Department of Transportation, as additional funding was rapidly becoming a necessity. By the time sections A and B had been awarded, the estimated cost of the first two segments ($130,448,727) was already out the window – thanks to soaring construction costs, the contracts afforded hovered around the $164-million mark.
Combined with Adams Contracting’s Dec. 20 contract, the state department of transportation has now awarded $231,295,075.99 – just over $100 million higher than the anticipated cost.
“Section C” was scheduled to encompass a 5.4-mile stretch from Stecoah Gap to Wolf Creek General Store on N.C. 28, where the road opens up into a 4-lane. The department of transportation broke the final section into two parts, with Adams Contracting’s work now stretching 2.593 miles. Letting for “Section CD” will now take place in October 2023.
In anticipation of what’s to come, crews began clearing the N.C. 143 roadside just two months ago, toppling trees and pushing aside foliage that once hugged the shoulder. As of this week, the work is nearing the ascent of the highway, on its approach to Stecoah Gap.
For the entirety of the 11.8-mile improvement, shoulders will be widened to 10 feet (8 of which will be paved). In addition to Blalock & Sons’ responsibilities with North Carolina’s first-ever land bridge, Watson Contracting will also construct a new sidewalk from N.C. 143’s intersection with the main Robbinsville High School entrance to the U.S. 129 intersection at Ingles.
No specialized work will be needed for “Section CC,” but the contractor afforded “Section CD” will craft a walking trail that will run parallel with N.C. 28 in the Stecoah community.
The walkway will include safety features to keep foot traffic separate from roadway travelers.