03/29/2024
NC DOT
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Next improvement requires road closure on Monday

ELIZABETHTOWN – The threat of future floodwaters closing N.C. 210 in Bladen County will be diminished, thanks to a series of major culvert upgrades that will wind down this summer.

On June 17, a section of N.C. 210 is scheduled to close about a mile south of U.S. 701 northeast of Elizabethtown. An N.C. Department of Transportation contractor will install a double-barreled, box-shaped culvert under the road where the highway crosses Smith Mill Pond Run. The nearest intersection is with Walter K. Evans Road.

The drainage pipe under N.C. 210 blew out during Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The new culvert will be larger and capable of handling more floodwater capacity without incurring any road damage.

“The roadway and drainage pipe at this location suffered major damage during both hurricanes,” said Ken Clark, the NCDOT district engineer for Bladen and Columbus counties. “Following both storms, our crews worked tirelessly to restore access to the area. So, this major culvert upgrade is critical, and it will help prevent this road from washing out again.”

The detour will keep drivers on these two primary routes: N.C. 41 and U.S. 701. The road is expected to reopen by mid-August before school starts.

In early July, another section of N.C. 210 will close about a half mile south of Moore’s Swamp Road near the Black River, where crews will upgrade the drainage pipe. The existing pipe was damaged by Florence and needs to be replaced. The closure will last about two weeks. The detour will be posted on DriveNC.gov under the Bladen County list of closures.

These two projects will follow work completed on June 7 installing two larger culverts under N.C. 210 north of Green Sea Road that also washed out during the hurricanes.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

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