Routine sonar scanning of the bridge over the Oregon Inlet identified areas where too much sand has eroded from the support structure of the bridge. As NCDOT crews continued to monitor the conditions, inspections revealed additional areas of concern. This led department officials to decide to close the bridge immediately. It will remain closed until the department can bring in additional resources to inspect the bridge and make necessary repairs to fortify the structure. NCDOT has declared a state of emergency as a way of expediting the process and steps are already under way to begin repair work as soon as possible.
Traffic on the NC12 highway is now having to use a ferry as the bridge is the only available route. For decades, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has known the Bonner Bridge stands on borrowed time and needs to be replaced. Howver, plans for the replacement are on hold because of legal challenges.
“Closing the Bonner Bridge is necessary to keep all travellers safe, but we know it will have a devastating effect on the people who live along and visit the Outer Banks,” said NCDOT secretary Tony Tata. “We will work to safely reopen this vital lifeline quickly, and hope to be able to begin construction on a new bridge as soon as possible.”
The Bonner Bridge is the only highway access for vehicles between Hatteras Island and the mainland. Until it is safe to reopen, The NCDOT Ferry Division will provide emergency support to move people and cars across the Pamlico Sound.
NCDOT awarded a contract to a design-build team to replace the bridge in August 2011. Design work began immediately and construction of the replacement bridge was originally set to begin in early 2013. All work is currently on hold following a series of legal challenges by the Southern Environmental law centre on behalf of the Defenders of Wildlife and National Wildlife Refuge Association. Once the issues are resolved, NCDOT will immediately move forward with construction of the new bridge.
NCDOT has already spent more than US$56 million in necessary repairs, inspection and maintenance on the 50-year-old bridge since beginning the process to replace it more than two decades ago. Two additional repair projects on the Bonner Bridge, which total US$2 million and are needed to keep the transportation corridor open, began this autumn.
