RALEIGH — N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti awarded a contract to replace five bridges in Bertie County.

The contract was awarded to S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson for the work, which is scheduled to begin as early as May 31, with final completion scheduled for no later than Dec. 1, 2013.

The following bridges will be replaced in Bertie County:

Woodard Road bridge over Roquist Creek;

Woodard Road bridge over Branch of Roquist Creek;

Middle Tract Road bridge over Roanoke River Tributary;

White Oak Road over Branch of White Oak Swamp; and

Pocosin Road bridge over Branch of White Oak Swamp.

These bridge replacements were among 15 contracts totaling $88.6 million awarded by Conti this month for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. The contracts were awarded to the lowest bidders, as required by state law and came in at 3.9 percent, or about $3.6 million, below NCDOT estimates.

These projects will utilize the design-build method, which allows the design, environmental permitting, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and construction to take place at the same time, under one contract. This method reduces overall construction time, helps the department avoid cost inflation, allows the contractor to make innovations to that save taxpayers money, lessens environmental impact and alleviates driving delays for motorists.