There is a problem with some of the concrete on one of the new Liberty Memorial Bridge's piers, but engineers say it poses no threat to the pier's structural integrity.

Inspectors noticed that a thin layer of concrete had separated from the rest of the concrete mass on the first pier in the water on the west side of the Missouri River, a setback known as "delamination."

Terri Wilhelm, a spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Transportation, said the delamination on Pier 7 is not a major issue.

"It's something that happens in any type of project where concrete is involved,"Wilhelm said.

Kevin Levi, the Bismarck district engineer for the NDDOT, said Friday that the structural integrity of the bridge has not been compromised. He said workers will repair the problem before they move forward with the rest of the construction project.

Repairs on the pier - which was the first to be completed during construction of the new bridge - will begin next week, Wilhelm said.

The bridge will eventually replace the original Liberty Memorial, which was the first car bridge to span the Missouri River. The original two-lane bridge was built 85 years ago and carries an average of about 15,000 vehicles a day between Mandan and Bismarck.

The new span, which will feature four lanes, is expected to handle between 18,000 and 19,000 vehicles per day, the NDDOT said. The price tag on the project is $47 million.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com.)