WILMINGTON, N.C. — The eastbound lanes of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge have closed for some much-needed repairs, but many worry these repairs are just a Band-Aid on a much bigger issue and that ultimately, the bridge needs replacing. To help fund the cost of the new infrastructure, the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) must decide whether to consider a toll.
What You Need To Know
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge will have to be replaced in the near future
The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization is considering a toll for the bridge to fund its replacement
The WMPO will vote on the matter on Jan. 31
New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Jill Hopman and Brunswick County Democratic Party Chair Shelley Allen don’t often work together, but when they found out the bridge connecting their counties might be tolled, they knew they had to come together.
“Everybody is going to suffer from this, on both sides of the bridge, and both sides of the aisle,” said Hopman. “It’s a truly bi-partisan issue, no one in Wilmington wants a toll tax and neither does anybody in Brunswick County.”
The WMPO has to decide whether to accept a proposed toll to finance the new structure. Both Hopman and Allen say they’re in favor of replacing the bridge to accommodate a growing area, but say this money shouldn’t come out of taxpayers’ pockets.
“It’s a regressive tax where our workers, students, seniors, first responders,” said Hopman, “they’re gonna be the ones who will have to pay for infrastructure that the state is responsible for.”
Both Hopman and Allen say they worry how this proposal could impact the people of the communities they represent.
“We have approximately 10,000 workers who cross the Cape Fear Bridge every day for work, and their average salary is $40,000 a year,” said Allen. “So for Brunswick County residents, placing what is proposed to be an $80 a month add on to the taxes they already pay is going to be quite a burden for a lot of workers.”
The WMPO will vote on this matter on Jan. 31.