There could still be snarls for drivers traveling from Wilmington to Brunswick County Tuesday afternoon.
Commuters using either the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge or the Isabel Holmes Bridge ran into hours of delays late Monday afternoon and evening due to an emergency repair on the Leland Causeway.
Today, Brian Rick, a spokesman with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said yesterday’s repair did not adhere properly – possibly due to the rain – and crews had to shut down the same lane around 11 this morning.
Crews completed the work before two this afternoon, according to Rick. But he compared the still-slow traffic to a “mouse in a snake.” Once the snake has swallowed the mouse, he said, it still takes time for all that mouse to move through the snake’s digestive system and flatten out.
The needed repair came to the attention of the contractor on Saturday, when a frame broke on a drop inlet, a water distribution device. The contractor determined an emergency repair was necessary by Monday afternoon. And while crews are reluctant to close a lane during peak traffic times, says Rick, the broken steel plate was presenting a serious hazard to drivers.
The repair was completed on Monday, but crews observed the same steel plate popping up again Tuesday morning when vehicles traveled over it. The fact that the bolts had not properly bonded, says Rick, was likely due to the rainy conditions on Monday.
