Feedback sought on plan to replace Vandora Springs Road bridge in Garner

Transportation planners are asking for public feedback on a plan to replace the Vandora Springs Road bridge over U.S. 70 in Garner, a crossing that carries daily local traffic through one of southern Wake County’s busiest corridors. The project would replace a bridge built in 1962 with a wider structure meant to improve safety, traffic flow and access for people walking or biking.

Under the North Carolina Department of Transportation proposal, the new bridge would include four 12-foot travel lanes, a 14-foot shared-use path on the west side and a 5-foot-6-inch sidewalk on the east side. NCDOT also says the bridge is being designed to accommodate the future expansion of U.S. 70, a signal that the agency expects continued growth and heavier traffic in Garner and along the broader east-west highway corridor.

The practical changes could matter well beyond the bridge itself. During construction, which is expected to last two to three years, Vandora Springs Road would stay open through an on-site detour and a temporary bridge. The U.S. 70 on-ramps would close temporarily, while the off-ramps to Vandora Springs Road would remain open. NCDOT says the eastbound off-ramp to Vandora Springs Road would be realigned to meet the eastbound on-ramp from Vandora Springs Road, a shift that would also require closing the 5th Avenue intersection with Vandora Springs Road.

For drivers, that means a long construction period with changing access patterns around a major highway crossing. For walkers and cyclists, the new sidewalk and shared-use path would create a more complete crossing than the current bridge, which was built before today’s standards for multimodal travel. The changes are aimed at making the corridor safer and more usable for nearby neighborhoods, businesses and anyone trying to move across U.S. 70 without a car.

NCDOT estimates the project will cost $19.0 million, including $2.5 million for utility relocation, $1.6 million for right-of-way acquisition and $14.9 million for construction. Residents can review the plan and submit comments through July 1, 2026. A public open house is set for June 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Garner Town Hall, 900 7th Avenue, and NCDOT says no formal presentation will be made.

The bridge replacement also fits into larger planning around U.S. 70, which Wake County and Garner treat as an important mobility and growth corridor. Regional efforts, including the Wake BRT Southern Corridor and future I-42 and U.S. 70 improvements, make the Vandora Springs Road project part of a broader push to keep an older highway network working as southern Wake continues to grow.