During previous summers you probably noticed that the height markings under Lake Gaston bridges were either nonexistent or in need of maintenance. About two years ago the Board of the Lake Gaston Water Safety Council began an effort to replace or repair those markings.

We sought permission from the Department of Transportation in both North Carolina and Virginia to see how we could address this problem. NCDOT said that they don't allow or put peripherals on their bridges; they build stand-alone structures for peripherals. VDOT said they build out additions on their bridges to add peripherals but would wait to see what NC recommended so they could match it.

Both states had problems with attaching signage to their bridges as it damages the bridges and blocks inspectors from completing their inspections.

Thanks to the persistence of Past President Wyatt Andrews, in September 2022, NCDOT engineers and inspectors decided that they would install the gauges rather than having LGWSC do the installations.

By May of 2023, NCDOT finalized a design and ordered gauges. The gauges were ready in January 2024 and forwarded to the maintenance department to be scheduled for installation.

In March of this year, the first of the clearance markings was installed on the Pea Hill Bridge. We expect that all bridges on both sides of the Lake will have new height clearance markings installed before the end of this year.

Maybe this will save a few Bimini tops. We think they look nice and hope you agree.