Work begins on replacement for downtown Raleigh bridge

One of the new bridges means a community will have to say goodbye to Finch's, a longtime Peace Street landmark. The restaurant opened 70 years ago.

"I want to thank all my customers for all these years," said Finch's owner Peggy Jin.

Jin has known for a while she would have to move. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been planning to replace the Capital Boulevard bridge, and the new bridge will run right through her property.

The Capital Boulevard work is part of a bigger project to replace the old bridges in the area. Later this month, work will begin on the Wade Avenue bridge that runs over Capital Boulevard.

Work will begin next year to replace the Capital Boulevard bridge over Peace Street, with a new interchange that connects the downtown grid.

NCDOT engineer David Moore said the new bridges will handle future needs and look nice.

"They're going to have fascias and uplighting, LED lighting, and it's just going to revitalize the area," Moore said.

Despite the changes, Jin said she is looking forward to the next chapter for Finch's. While the real estate market priced her out of Raleigh, she is moving the restaurant to Durham in February.

"It's only 30 miles away. We wanted to continue in Raleigh. Maybe one day we will be back," she said.

The work on the Wade Avenue bridge should not affect traffic on Capital Boulevard until the spring.

The entire $37 million project to replace both bridges should be finished in 2019.