West end: US 158 in Aydlett Counties: Currituck | East end: NC 12 near Corolla | |
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County Currituck County, North Carolina Similar Wright Memorial Bridge, Cape Fear Skyway, Oregon Inlet, Virginia Dare Memorial, Corolla Wild Horse Fund | ||
The Mid-Currituck Bridge is a proposed 7 miles (11 km) two-lane toll bridge that will span across the Currituck Sound, connecting US 158 and NC 12. Its purpose is to alleviate summer traffic congestion and to improve both emergency response and evacuation time. Estimated at a cost of $410 million, construction was scheduled to start in 2019 and be completed in four years time. However the N.C. Governor announced on November 19, 2015... that construction would be moved up 2 years... Now slated to begin in 2017.
History
Plans for a bridge that connected Currituck County's mainland and outer banks has been on the drawing board since the 1970s. However, because of the high cost of project, it remained unfunded for decades. In 2008, the bridge was picked up by the North Carolina Turnpike Authority as a possible new toll route and work began on the environmental impact for the area.
On January 19, 2012, The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released by the N.C. Turnpike Authority. It recommended the preferred alternative for the project, which involves construction of the bridge, as well as limited improvements to existing NC 12 and US 158, estimated to cost around $660 million. With final approval expected in the spring, construction would begin in late 2012, opening to traffic in 2017.
The project would include:
In June, 2012, NCDOT recommended not to fund the project through 2013, anticipating possible lawsuits. As a result, the North Carolina General Assembly provided no funds, delaying the project. In December, 2014, NCDOT included the bridge in its final draft in the 10-year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). With an estimated cost of $410 million, with the state contributing $173 million, it will pay-off the remainder by toll revenue. Construction for the bridge was programmed to begin in 2019 and be completed in four years.
Project planning and implementation of the Mid-Currituck Bridge was placed on hold in 2013 while NCDOT reviewed state, regional and local transportation improvement funding priorities using the Strategic Mobility Formula.
The project has since been approved for inclusion in the 2016-2025 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and now, work toward a Record of Decision (ROD) is underway. An amendment to the STIP calls for NCDOT to start the dedication of state transportation funding in fiscal year 2017 (which starts July 2016) that will be used for bridge construction.