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The North Carolina Railroad Co. (NCRR) is getting ready to remove the oldest bridge on its 317-mile corridor. The railroad plans to replace a 107-year-old bridge in Clayton to boost freight and passenger train speeds, and increase clearances.

The old bridge's low 13-foot, nine-inch clearance caused trucks to strike the structure and advancing age restricted train speeds to 49 mph. The new $1 million bridge will feature a 15-foot, six-inch clearance and 50-foot span.

Comprising six parallel steel plate girders with a steel deck pan, the span will be fabricated locally by Structural Steel Products Corp. and Structural Coatings Inc. The span will be produced by year's end and delivered to the job site in February.

NCRR owns and manages a Morehead City-to-Charlotte corridor that's used by 70 freight and eight passenger trains daily.