WILMINGTON, N.C. — One of the main bridges into the Port City will temporarily close this month, with overnight lane closures starting this week.
Last year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation found repairs would be needed to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge’s stringers and support beams under the riding deck. The NCDOT says an average pf 55,000 drivers cross the bridge daily.
One of those drivers says she is worried about what this closure means for her commute.
Page Lowry has been taking the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge almost daily for 26 years.
“It seems as if I go into town probably, four, five, six times a week,” Lowry said. “Sometimes, like yesterday, I went in twice, first thing in the morning and then later in the afternoon.”
But with the bridge closing this month, she decided to time how long it takes to get from her house to downtown Wilmington using the bridge compared to using an alternate route.
“We’re gonna try this alternate, which is one of the ones they suggested,” Lowry said, “And you’ll see it’s a little bit longer.”
She’s worried about how the closure will impact not just her, but the tens of thousands of other drivers who cross the bridge every day.
“It’s totally inconveniencing not only people like us who drive in and out, but think of all the businesses, truckers, delivery people,” Lowry said. “I mean it's gotta be a real pain in the neck for them.”
But Lowry says her main concern is with how the closure will impact EMS workers trying to get from Brunswick County to Wilmington area hospitals.
“Twice in the past year, my husband had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital in Wilmington,” Lowry said. “What’s going to happen if traffic is backed up?”
Brunswick County officials, however, said in statement:
“Brunswick and New Hanover EMS have started work on a plan to provide dual response to areas possibly affected by the bridge work. This will ensure that an ambulance can arrive quickly, regardless of which side of the bridge one comes form. Brunswick County can also request AirLink helicopters for extremely time sensitive emergencies.”
Overall, Lowry found that there was only about an eight-minute difference in driving to Wilmington using the alternate route. But that’s with light traffic.
She worries it could be even longer if alternate routes get congested once the bridge closes. Although she says she understands the bridge needs to be fixed, she’s worried that disaster lies ahead.
“Bad things are going to happen, I mean that’s inevitable,” Lowry said. “Whether it’s EMS people or people in a hurry that get impatient, I just feel that we’re going to have problems.”
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is just one of many across the state in need of repairs.
The NCDOT says that of about 13,700 bridges in the state, 1,150 are considered to be in poor condition.
Each bridge is inspected at least every two years. Issues with the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge were discovered last year.
Starting Thursday, single-lane closures will begin nightly so crews can prepare for the project.
Beginning Jan. 28, both lanes into Wilmington will be closed.
The bridge will reopen to accommodate Azalea Festival traffic in April. After the festival, both lanes of the bridge heading out of Wilmington will close. The project is expected to be completed in late May.
The NCDOT says these timeframes are aggressive and all dates are tentative, adding that no lanes will be open unless the work is complete.
For more information on the project, click here.
For a map of detours and alternate routes, click here.