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Crews working overtime to finish Mooresville bridge upgrades

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Plans to fix the NC 150 bridge in Mooresville have been in the works for more than two years.

Crews didn't start work until last month and they're working overtime to get the job done by the end of this year.

Read our past coverage:

Leaders push for NCDOT to raise bridge over Lake Norman

Orange cones line new guardrails as a sign work is underway, but for some drivers it's not happening fast enough.

"I think they need to hurry up and get it fixed. It's a nightmare, and traffic backs up," said Mike Nelson. 
 
Built in the 1960s, the bridge spans Lake Norman and is a main connector for Iredell and Catawba counties.
 
Officials said between 15,000-20,000 people travel the bridge every day.
 
In 2012, North Carolina Department of Transportation set aside $3.6 million to preserve the bridge.
 
Work was set to start last April, but the state said the project kept getting delayed.
 
Crews are working overtime to get the job done by the end of the year. They are sand-blasting and repainting beams under the bridge and paving the bridge deck.
 
Steel plates were put in the road to help support the bridge while work is being done underneath but some drivers we spoke to say they're slowing traffic.
 
"People are just stopping when they get to the plates, they don't keep moving," said Neil Swain.
 
To keep the work from disrupting traffic during the day, crews are only allowed to work overnight - from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
 
With $3.6 million taxpayer dollars already going to pay for the job, drivers we spoke to hope the project stays on schedule.
 
"I hope it's a really nice bridge when it's find for that kind of money," Nelson said.
 
The project will be completed in two phases, with phase one starting on the Catawba County side of the bridge.
 
The Lake Norman Marine Commission will meet next week to talk about how work will impact both drivers and boaters.

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