Contractor tied to major Outer Banks blackout vying for Beaufort County bridge project

The construction company that caused a major Outer Banks power outage while building a bridge is vying for a major bridge project in northern Beaufort County.

PCL Civil Constructors Inc., the contractor building a new bridge between Hatteras and Bodie islands in North Carolina, accidentally damaged underground cables carrying power to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on Thursday and cut power to thousands, The News and Observer in Raleigh reported. Individuals and businesses affected by the blackout and evacuation of thousands of tourists have sued PCL, the newspaper reported.

The company is among the contractors competing for a contract from the S.C. Department of Transportation to replace the Harbor River Bridge in Beaufort County, the agency’s documents on the project show. The swing bridge connecting St. Helena Island and Harbor Island has been deemed obsolete by state transportation officials and will be replaced within the next four years or so.

PCL was one of four contractors invited to submit proposals for the work in March after an initial request for qualified companies, an SCDOT memo said. American Bridge Company, Kiewit Infrastructure South Company and United Infrastructure Group were the other three to advance.

Cost proposals for the work are due by noon Aug. 10, and bidding opens on Aug. 24, according to a DOT timeline.

PCL Civil Constructors is a subsidiary of PCL Construction, with offices in Tampa, Seattle and Raleigh, according to its website. The company’s primary focus is building bridges.

The company has been awarded past bridge projects in South Carolina, including a $47.5 million project to replace three bridges in Georgetown and Horry counties and a $30 million bridge project over the Wando River, DOT records show.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Contractor tied to major Outer Banks blackout vying for Beaufort County bridge project."