Basnight Bridge to Undergo Survey Scan
The N.C. Department of Transportation will be performing a high-resolution scan of the N.C. 12 Marc Basnight Bridge in Dare County on March 8, which will require a 30-minute closure of the bridge from 8-8:30 a.m.
Flaggers and message boards will be in place on both approaches to the bridge to warn motorists of the closure. The Basnight Bridge carries N.C. 12 across the Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks.
During the scan, a device mounted on a slow-moving vehicle will map the elevation and coordinates for millions of points along the bridge deck. The sensitivity of the equipment requires it to perform the scan without interference from passing traffic.
The Basnight Bridge was built to last 100 years and is designed to expand and contract with changing weather conditions. The 3-D scan survey will provide engineers with data they need to ensure the long-term health of the bridge.
Next week’s scan is separate from the state’s first-ever bridge inspection conducted by a drone, which was completed on the Marc Basnight Bridge Feb. 22.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.
Why would you close the bridge to traffic on a Monday morning from 8-8:30am? Wouldn’t a ‘scan’ be far better accomplished in the middle of the night for anytime between 1am and 4am when there i little to no traffic to disrupt?