President's Report from August 31, 2026

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project has reached an important milestone. The Federal Highway Administration has approved NCDOT’s Environmental Assessment for public release, beginning the formal public comment period under the National Environmental Policy Act. The assessment evaluates two remaining alternatives: Alternative A, a movable-span bridge with 65 feet of clearance when closed and 135 feet when raised, and Alternative B, a fixed-span bridge providing 135 feet of clearance. The Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce continues to support Alternative B as the best long-term solution for our region.

Alternative B provides several important advantages. It is projected to reduce future morning commute delays by approximately one-third and evening delays by about one-quarter compared with Alternative A. Its 135-foot clearance also protects continued access to the federal navigation channel and the economic activity that depends on the Cape Fear River. The Environmental Assessment estimates Alternative B will cost approximately $1.03 billion to construct, compared with $1.11 billion for Alternative A.

The public comment period is particularly important given the City of Wilmington’s consideration of Resolution R2, which City Council is scheduled for discussion on Tuesday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m. The resolution appears to question whether the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge needs to be replaced at all, instead suggesting rehabilitation and continued maintenance of the existing structure.

That represents a significant departure from the City’s own previous positions. In its recent legislative agendas and policy documents, the City has explicitly supported full replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and advocated for the state and federal resources necessary to fund it. The City’s Greater Downtown Plan, adopted more recently, goes even further, calling for an “iconic, multimodal, and respectful” bridge replacement and stating that the bridge is vital to the region’s economy and must meet future traffic needs for decades to come. The City also traveled to Washington, D.C. in 2025 specifically to advocate for federal funding to replace the bridge.

The question before Council should therefore not be whether the region needs a replacement bridge. The City has previously acknowledged that need. The more productive question is how we replace the bridge in a way that meets the region’s future transportation needs and can actually be funded and built.

The Chamber believes Wilmington should continue advocating strongly for its interests, including concerns about tolling, community impacts, traffic patterns and construction impacts. However, those issues should be addressed within the established regional transportation planning process. Restarting or significantly altering the project at this stage could jeopardize the $327 million in state and federal funding already secured, including a $242 million federal grant and $85 million in state funding, while adding additional time and cost to a project that has already taken years to advance. Our focus should be on protecting the funding we have secured, maintaining strong regional partnerships and getting the best possible bridge built for the future of the Wilmington region.

NCDOT will hold public hearings September 14 at Cape Fear Community College and September 15 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. Written comments will be accepted through October 15. We encourage Chamber members and community leaders to participate in the public process and make their voices heard.