You have to cross a bridge to get to OBX heaven! But with so many bridges attaching the Outer Banks to the rest of the world, it does get confusing at times. We love all of the history in this handy guide from Carolina Designs’ Michele Thibodeau.
“The Outer Banks is not actually attached to the mainland. Well technically, there’s a sandy strip of land linking Carova with Virginia Beach, but that route requires a key to the lock at False Cape State Park that is only available to the original residents of Carova. No key=no entry.
Although it is possible to arrive by boat or aircraft, the way most people get on or off the Outer Banks is via a bridge. It can get confusing, though, if someone says, “The Virginia Dare Bridge is backed up, better take the Umstead Bridge instead.” A statement that could be equally as confusing for residents and visitors, since there is no guarantee everyone knows the names of the bridges.
To alleviate some of that confusion, here is our list of major Outer Banks bridges and their names—with a little additional information about them.
Wright Memorial Bridge
This is the bridge that is the most frequent entry point to the Outer Banks. A twin span, the bridges were built and completed about 20 years apart. Making use of US 158, the bridges link Point Harbor on mainland Currituck County with Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks.
The bridges are famous—or perhaps, infamous—for their summer weekend backups, although the backups are more a result of traffic control measures on the Outer Banks than the design of the spans.
Historic Notes: There has been a bridge connecting the Currituck Mainland with the Outer Banks since the 1920s. The original bridge was a privately built and maintained wooden toll bridge. Almost resting on the surface of the water, crossing the bridge during storms was a terrifying experience according to those who used it.
Length: 2.8 miles
Entered Service:
1995 (westbound)
1966 (eastbound)
[box type=”bio”] Get the rest of this great guide on the Carolina Designs blog.[/box]