Sledge Road over the Rocky Swamp northwest of Enfield is getting a modern bridge.

S.T. Wooten Corporation of Wilson recently received a nearly $700,000 contract from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to replace the 53-year-old span which has vehicle weight restrictions.

Wooten submitted the lowest bid, which was almost 10 percent below engineering estimates.

The contractor may start between March 1 and May 1, and then will have six months to complete the project and reopen the road.

The marked detour will be on Wayman Church Road and highways 561 and 48.