According to NCDOT, the existing four-lane, steel vertical-lift bridge, built in 1969, is becoming functionally obsolete, meaning it can no longer effectively serve current traffic demands. While NCDOT officials say the existing bridge is safe, it is reaching the end of its lifecycle.
Debates over how to pay for a new bridge have raged for several years. Unsolicited offers to build a private toll bridge have been shot down by both local and, more recently, state officials — but, to the near-universal frustration of residents, a toll-bridge option increasingly looks like the only option to pay for a replacement, with an estimated cost of well over $1 billion.
While the funding issue continues to be hashed out, NCDOT has identified two proposed alternatives to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge:
- Alternative A is a bridge with a movable span with a proposed 65-foot to 135-foot vertical clearance over the Cape Fear River.
- Alternative B is a fixed-span bridge with a 135-foot vertical clearance and interchange improvements. Alternative B will allow ships to pass underneath without interrupting traffic on the bridge.
Because the fixed span must be higher, it has a longer footprint, which has prompted pushback from people concerned about the impact on environmentally sensitive and historic preservation areas, as well as traffic.
The public hearings are scheduled for:
- Monday, September 14 at CFCC, Daniels Hall
- Tuesday, September 15 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center
For both dates, doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the hearings start at 6:00 p.m.
If you cannot attend the public hearing in person, NCDOT will livestream the meetings.
The opportunity to provide verbal comments and/or submit written comments and questions will be provided. Comments can also be submitted by phone, email at capefearmemorialbridge@publicinput.com, or at NCDOT’s public input portal until October 15.
In a press release dated Wednesday, August 19, “NCDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has approved the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA details the anticipated impacts to natural, human, environmental, physical and biological resources for the two proposed alternatives.”
They write, “With the EA now available to the public, the formal review period has begun. The hearings give the public an opportunity to make formal comments to be included in the project record. These comments will be considered in the selection of the Preferred Alternative for the project.”
For additional questions on the bridge options, email the WHQR Newsroom at staffnews@whqr.org.
Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Project Website