Bridge bargain: Bid comes in at half budgeted price for phase of Yadkin River Bridge project

SPENCER (By PAUL GARBER, Winston-Salem Journal) - North Carolina taxpayers are getting the second phase of the Yadkin River Bridge project at a bargain price.

Contractors desperate to find work are working with state officials to get contracts done at a cheaper price, Gov. Bev Perdue said during a media stop at the construction site Thursday.

As a result, the bid awarded Wednesday for the second phase of the project came in at $65 million, about half the originally projected cost, she said. The lowered cost is a reflection of how difficult it is for contractors to find work.