The Eastwood Overpass project addresses one of Wilmington’s most congested intersections, where Eastwood Road meets Military Cutoff Road. It’s a pinch point for north-south traffic, patrons headed to Mayfaire and surrounding commercial areas, and of course, beachgoers.
It’s currently rated as a very poor level of service by NCDOT, and conditions are only expected to deteriorate.
“This intersection was found to operate at Level of Service E, the second worst on the Level of Service scale, based on the 2022 forecast,” according to NCDOT.
The overpass, or ‘flyover,’ will elevate Eastwood, which will pass over Military Cutoff, removing the existing intersection. Construction is set to begin late next year and last four years, through late 2031.
The $81.4 million project, officially U-5710, has been in the works for over a decade. NCDOT held the first stakeholder meeting in 2015, with public meetings in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Still, given Wilmington's explosive growth, many questions came from people who moved to the area more recently, and had not heard of the project.
Last year, Wilmington’s City Council unanimously passed a resolution, asking NCDOT to hold a new public meeting, noting “significant and important changes in area development and traffic data.” NCDOT has, so far, declined requests to do so from concerned residents.
At the same time, the Greater Wilmington Business Journal ran an opinion piece penned by Wilmington Chamber of Commerce CEO Natalie English, supporting the overpass project and calling it crucial for the city’s economic future. Another piece, opposing the project, signed by eight local business owners and members of the community, ran in the journal earlier this month. The piece poses questions about the project’s safety, efficacy, and impact on the surrounding economy and environment.
Another question raised is about the potential compounding impact of work being done to replace three bridges in Wrightsville Beach: the Lees Cut, Long Salisbury Street, and Causeway Drive bridges (not the Heidi Trask drawbridge). The $105 million project is set to start later this year. Wilmington City Council unanimously passed a separate resolution asking NCDOT to consider how this work might impact the Eastwood project.
Much criticism has included the suggestion that the $80 million or more in funding could be reallocated to other, more pressing projects, or even toward a replacement for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge (although more than ten times that is likely needed). NCDOT has routinely noted that the state's longterm project funding process (the STIP) does not allow projects to simply be cancelled and funding reappropriated. Even if a project is cancelled (and NCDOT has never indicated its considering scrapping the Eastwood overpass), any other project would still go through the STIP.
Earlier this month, WHQR sent NCDOT a list of questions:
- Wilmington City Council recently unanimously passed a resolution urging NCDOT to reconsider the traffic impacts of undertaking the Eastwood overpass and Wrightsville Beach bridge (HB-0040) projects simultaneously. Does NCDOT have any comment on that? Does NCDOT factor in that kind of municipal input when considering projects?
- How will NCDOT manage the traffic while these projects overlap? (That is, are there going to be new traffic patterns, etc.?)
- How is safety a motivation for the project? Readers have noted that Eastwood/Military Cutoff is fairly low on the list of intersections with the most crashes. Can you add some context to the safety concern?
- The intersection was rated a top priority back in 2015. Readers have asked if that’s still the case over a decade later? (In other words, if it were ranked today, would it still be a top priority?)
A NCDOT spokesperson responded, noting the project's overall importance and indicating that it remains a top priority.
“With daily traffic expected to rise from 75,000 to 100,000 vehicles by 2045, this project is essential to reduce traffic delays, improve safety, and maintain mobility. This project remains a top priority for this region,” according to the spokesperson.
With regards to the potential impact of the Wrightsville Beach bridge projects, a spokesperson noted that construction is expected to start by the end of 2026, while the Eastwood Road project isn’t expected to get underway until late 2027.
“While the timelines may overlap, construction limits do not overlap. NCDOT often has projects in close proximity and has protocols to prevent conflicting lane closures. NCDOT will follow seasonal lane closure restrictions during busy seasons to minimize disruptions as much as possible,” according to the spokesperson.
NCDOT has encouraged concerned residents to sign up for “real-time updates” at the bridge replacement project website.
NCDOT did not add additional context to its stated safety concerns, other than to reiterate that it's a key goal of the Eastwood Overpass project, along with reducing traffic delays and maintaining mobility.
