Aging OBX lifeline to be replaced
Alligator River getting new bridge thanks to $110M ‘mega grant’
The days of eastern North Carolina’s Alligator River bridge getting stuck open after boats pass through will soon come to an end.
In the next two years, the 60-year-old swing bridge that serves as a gateway to the Outer Banks will be replaced with a modern high-rise fixed span thanks in part to a federal “mega grant” for major infrastructure projects across the country.
Gov. Roy Cooper, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, North Carolina Transportation Secretary J. Eric Boyette and other state and local leaders gathered Thursday at the aging span on U.S. 64 in Dare and Tyrrell counties to celebrate.
The proposed $289.5 million project to replace the bridge and install broadband infrastructure from Tyrrell County to Nags Head won the $110 million federal grant in January. The project is one of nine to receive funds through President Joe Biden’s mega grant program, which helps pay for projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs.
“It’s my understanding this bridge has been accelerated at least 10 years by President Biden’s $1.3 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law,” Bhatt said. “When it comes to an evacuation route, as we see more and more climate events, people aren’t going to have to worry about ‘is that bridge open, is that bridge working?’ And maybe not have to detour nearly 100 miles.”
Cooper, a Democrat, wore a purple tie and touted the bipartisanship that went into achieving the grant, calling it an “extraordinary” investment in the future.
“This bridge is a vital lifeline for commuters, for residents, for safety officials, and we know that as an evacuation route, having this reliable bridge always there is going to be critical. But what we’re trying to do is make sure we invest for generations to come.”
The Lindsay B. Warren Bridge, locally called the Alligator River bridge, was completed in 1962 as a two-lane swing-span bridge connecting northeastern North Carolina to Interstate 95 and U.S. 17.
More than 4,000 boats pass through the area every year, Cooper said, forcing vehicle traffic to stop while the swing-span opens and closes. The span often gets stuck open, forcing drivers on a 99-mile detour.
The new 3.2-mile, two-lane span will be built just north of the old one with a vertical clearance of 65 feet to accommodate the navigational channel.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation plans for construction to begin no later than 2025.
The grant will also fund installation of broadband infrastructure along U.S. 64 from I-95 in Rocky Mount to N.C. 12 on the Outer Banks.
NCDOT applied for the federal grant in May, naming the application for engineer Sterling Baker, who died last year of cancer at 50. Baker fought to keep the old bridge operational while advocating for a new span.
“The 60-year-old swing span is not supporting our communities,” Boyette said. “Our agency definitely went after this grant wholeheartedly for one of our own, Sterling Baker. I know he’s looking down today smiling on us. It’s a great day.”