The city’s transportation department confirmed via Twitter that it will be closing down the area to raise the famously low bridge in the coming weeks.
The bridge’s clearance will be raised by eight inches to a new total of 12 feet and four inches. That’s about as tall as it can go without further construction involving another crossing, according to Durham DOT spokesperson Bill Judge.
The bridge warns oncoming trucks via numerous signs and laser-triggered final warning signal if they’re too tall to pass underneath. It’s reportedly nearly 100 years old, built at a time when there were no standards of minimum clearance.
Construction work is expected to wrap up by Nov. 5 and cost $500,000, according to the North Carolina Railroad Company, which owns the trestle.
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