It’s really happening! After years of legal battles, a replacement span for the aging Bonner Bridge begins in March. This informative article includes an amazing VIDEO visualization of what the new bridge will look like. The agreement between NCDOT and the Southern Environmental Law Center that allows construction to move forward was far-reaching and complex, as this story from the Raleigh News & Observer‘s Road Worrier Bruce Siceloff makes clear.
“Construction will start in March on a long-awaited replacement for the rickety Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks – 25 years late, and not a minute too soon.
The 2.4-mile N.C. 12 bridge, a mainland link to Hatteras Island, was supposed to be good for only 30 years when it opened in 1963. Salt air has corroded the steel-and-concrete structure since then, and the shifting currents of Oregon Inlet have at times undermined its support pilings.
By the time its 2.8-mile successor opens for traffic in November 2018, the original Bonner Bridge will be 55 years old.
“We’ve been eager for a long time,” said Shawn Mebane, who oversees state Department of Transportation construction in northeastern North Carolina. “It’s been long overdue.”
[box type=”bio”] Read the rest of the story and WATCH THE VIDEO on the Raleigh News & Observer.[/box]