Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for New Bonner Bridge Construction

By TWC News Staff & Associated Press Coastal

PUBLISHED 5:09 PM ET Mar. 08, 2016

DARE COUNTY - Construction is about to begin on the replacement for the current Bonner Bridge.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday in the parking lot at the south end of the bridge. Gov. Pat McCrory attended the event.

Construction of the 3.5-mile span is expected to take about three years to complete.

Last June, state transportation officials and environmental groups reached an agreement allowing for construction of the new bridge, which will run parallel to the current one.

The project had been delayed for years by legal wrangling and budget concerns.

When the original Bonner Bridge was built in 1963, it had an expected life span of 30 years.

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