Critical preservation work on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge means that commercial traffic needs an alternate route. The City of Wilmington has said, for now, it's decided to enforce a detour along MLK Parkway, College Road, and Shipyard Boulevard.
But that hasn't stopped some commercial vehicles, most conspicuously shipping container trucks bound for the port, from taking a much more direct route from the Isabel Holmes Bridge down Third Street.
The city has serious concerns about this for several reasons, including potential traffic accidents on the narrow parts of South Third in downtown Wilmington, structural damage to historic buildings in that area, and congestion on a stretch of road that isn't engineered for it. According to Mayor Bill Saffo, the city hopes to avoid freight traffic on Third Street entirely, but reserves the right to allow it if the current detour becomes problematic.
The Wilmington Police Department's traffic unit and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol are working to prevent commercial traffic from taking the shorter Third Street route.
"We want to remind all operators of commercial motor vehicles of two things. First, stay on designated truck routes provided by appropriate signage that has been posted on the roadways and online. If you are driving or know someone driving a commercial motor vehicle and you are using a GPS navigation system, make sure that navigation system is programmed properly for being used in a commercial motor vehicle," WPD said in a press release.
Drivers who ignore WPD's request may face more than a polite reminder.
"As a reminder, commercial vehicle drivers are subject to being cited for traveling on roadways that prohibit commercial motor vehicles," WPD said.