ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Traffic is now moving across a new Blue Ridge Parkway bridge over Interstate 26, marking another milestone in the highway’s widening project through Buncombe County.

The new permanent bridge allows crews with the N.C. Department of Transportation to begin removing the old structure, which stood in the way of expanding I-26 beneath it.

“We are certainly excited to accomplish this feat before visitors flock to Western North Carolina to enjoy leaf season in Asheville and along the Blue Ridge Parkway,” Division 13 Engineer Tim Anderson said in a statement. “While this is not related to Hurricane Helene repairs, it’s another sign that WNC is open for business and NCDOT is progressing on other projects in addition to storm repairs.”

The bridge was built using pre-cast concrete sections, including 14 pieces for the piers. Long internal tendons connect the segments, and the design features a cavity to make maintenance easier. Once finished, the bridge will include stone masonry, wooden guardrails and other elements to match traditional parkway architecture.

While the bridge is already open to traffic, additional work will continue after the fall season. Remaining tasks include masonry, removing sections of the old roadway, building a parking lot for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, grading and planting trees, according to resident engineer Luke Middleton.

Crews from Fluor-United and subcontractors plan to dismantle the old bridge piece by piece over the next six weeks, weather permitting. The deck will be saw-cut and removed in sections, followed by the girders and the six supporting columns, which will be pushed down and taken apart.

Some of the demolition will require overnight closures on I-26, similar to those in place throughout the project.