Raleigh–The North Carolina Dept. of Transportation will hold a groundbreaking for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge replacement at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the parking lot at the south end of the bridge.
More than two decades in the making, the groundbreaking will mark a historical day as construction of a new Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet gets underway in Dare County.
“I’m proud that my administration could finally break through the litigation stalemate that had this project stalled for years,” said Gov. Pat McCrory in announcing the ceremony. “The Bonner Bridge is a lifeline for Hatteras Island. To see this project actually break ground will be a great day for the people who live and work on the Outer Banks and throughout North Carolina, as well as millions of visitors from across the state, nation and world.”
The North Carolina Department of Transportation worked for years with the local community, as well as state and federal agencies, to study and develop plans to replace the existing bridge along N.C. 12 with a new parallel bridge.
In 2011, the department hired a contractor for the design and construction of the new bridge, but soon after, litigation stalled the process and no work has been done on a replacement bridge until now.
In June, McCrory and NCDOT reached a settlement agreement with the petitioners that allowed the state to move forward with replacing the Bonner Bridge.
For more information on the history of the Bonner Bridge replacement project click here.
Parking information: Parking will not be available at the event site. Dare County will provide shuttles from the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center beginning at 8:30 a.m., with the last shuttle leaving for the event at 9:30 a.m.
