Building A Bridge For The Wilmington Region's Future, Not Its History

For more than 50 years, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has connected New Hanover and Brunswick counties. It has served our region well, but Wilmington has changed dramatically since the bridge opened in 1969. Our population has grown, our economy has expanded and about 69,000 vehicles now cross the bridge every day, including more than 8,000 trucks. By 2050, NCDOT expects that number to approach 95,000. Simply put, we have outgrown the bridge we have today.

After reviewing the most recent Environmental Assessment, the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce continues to support Alternative B, the fixed-span replacement bridge with 135 feet of vertical clearance. We believe it provides the best long-term solution for moving people and goods across the Cape Fear River while preserving the river’s role in our economy.

Traffic already backs up regularly on both sides of the river. An accident, maintenance closure or other incident can turn a normal commute into a major regional disruption. By 2050, the Environmental Assessment projects that Alternative B would reduce morning commute delays by about one-third and evening delays by about one-quarter compared with Alternative A.

That matters to everyone who lives and works in the region.

The 135-foot clearance also matters to our economy. It allows ships to move upriver without stopping traffic and protects access to the federal navigation channel and the commercial and industrial sites that depend on it. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already determined that clearance below 135 feet would be injurious to the purposes of the federal navigation project. That conclusion is more than a technical finding. It reflects decades of work by local leaders who understood that Wilmington’s economic future depended on protecting both our port and our ability to attract and retain diverse industries. History matters, especially as we look to the future about decisions made today that will shape this region for generations. We should not build a bridge that limits our region’s economic potential for the next century.

Alternative B also costs less to build. The Environmental Assessment estimates construction at approximately $1.03 billion, compared with $1.11 billion for Alternative A. And the difference extends beyond construction. NCDOT has spent at least $32.8 million on major rehabilitation of the existing bridge since 2008, while routine maintenance and lift operations average about $550,000 annually. A fixed-span bridge eliminates those lift operations and the machinery associated with them.

There is another issue we cannot ignore: time and the funding we have already secured. The City’s latest resolution appears to ask us to start the process over again with a fixed-span bridge at a lower clearance, which is simply not realistic given the needs of our port, businesses and growing region. The current project already has $327 million in federal and state funding tied to it, including a $242 million federal grant and $85 million in state funding. We can and should have a thoughtful conversation about how to fund the remaining cost, but we should not risk the funding we have already secured by going back to the beginning. Every delay creates more risk, especially when other communities across North Carolina are competing for the same limited transportation dollars. Our focus should be on keeping the project moving and getting a new bridge built.

Our region has already experienced what happens when competing priorities and disagreements prevent us from moving forward on critical transportation infrastructure. We cannot afford to repeat that history. We need local leaders and community partners focused on getting this project built, protecting the funding already secured and finding a path forward that works for the entire region.

This is not simply a Wilmington project. It is a regional project affecting New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties, our port, our businesses, our workforce, our residents and our ability to evacuate during hurricanes.

The Chamber will continue to ask NCDOT for additional review of noise barriers, updated traffic forecasts, downtown traffic patterns, wetlands and floodplains, the retaining wall near Queen Street and continued access for businesses during construction. We also need to make sure the roads leading to the new bridge can handle future traffic.

But now the community has an opportunity to participate.

NCDOT is accepting public comments through Oct. 15, and I encourage residents, businesses and community members to make their voices heard. Two public hearings will be held:

• Monday, Sept. 14: Doors open at 4:30 p.m. | Formal hearing at 6 p.m., Cape Fear Community College, Daniels Hall, 502 N. Front St., Wilmington
• Tuesday, Sept. 15: Doors open at 4:30 p.m. | Formal hearing at 6 p.m., Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way, Leland