The bridge, completed in 1969, urgently requires replacement. But that will be an expensive project —one that local lawmakers are trying to figure out how to tackle.
Commissioner Scalise brought the issue to advisors of Governor Roy Cooper while in Raleigh this week. He said it would be beneficial if the bridge was included in the state Transportation improvement plan.
“This is not a negotiable point, we need a new bridge,” he said. “We’re ultimately going to have to find a way to pay for it.”
According to Scalise, state officials said they will help, but they first want to see quote “concrete data” about options for replacing the bridge.
Local officials have gone through options before, including an unpopular proposal for a toll bridge. Scalise said he and other officials need to keep bringing the issue to the state.
Scalise also discussed the issue of securing funding for beach renourishment. The state created a mechanism for funding renourishment six years ago, but didn’t establish a source of recurring funding, he said.
According to Scalise, the current state budget — which is still in the works at the General Assembly — is allocating some money to that fund.
But beach communities need a stable funding source to properly plan, he said.
