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The Alabama Department of Transportation on Thursday, March 26, completed a bridge joint repair project on the existing State Route 41 bridge over the Conecuh River and restored normal two-lane traffic flow.

Those repairs began in February at the joint between the bridge deck and the adjacent roadway. This repair is expected to maintain a solid joint between the bridge and the roadway until the new State Route 41 bridge opens to traffic. ALDOT bridge crews will continue to monitor and perform routine inspections of the existing bridge.

The existing State Route 41 bridge has continued carrying traffic while ALDOT seeks a resolution to issues that have prevented a new bridge from opening to traffic. Late last year, ALDOT defaulted Mississippi-based contractor Tanner Inc.

Meanwhile, ALDOT has finalized a plan for making repairs to the new bridge deck by the end of 2020. ALDOT will advertise the bridge completion project beginning Friday, March 27, followed by accepting bids from contractors on Friday, April 24. ALDOT will expedite the contract award process to allow the successful low bidder to begin work as quickly as possible.

The project scope will include replacing portions of the existing bridge deck and applying a polymer overlay, a process first used in Alabama on the recently-completed Interstate 59/20 bridge project in Birmingham. Once the new bridge opens to traffic, all remaining work, to include the removal of the old State Route 41 bridge and relief bridges as well as final grading work, will occur.

ALDOT won’t know an exact cost until bids are received and a low bidder accepted.