Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Bonner Bridge Repairs Begin Today

Although long term plans for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet are still uncertain, the North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin repairs today on the aging bridge today in order to buy a little more time. From now until the end of May, the NC DOT will be closing sections of one of the bridge's two lanes and may even close both lanes for short periods. The $800,000 cost of these temporary repairs will be added to the more than $50 million that have been spent on the 40 year old bridge in just the last few decades. Despite all the efforts to maintain and repair the Bonner Bridge, the existing bridge has a stability rating of 4 out of 100. Long-term options for replacement are still being debated and include a parallel bridge and a 17 mile bridge that connects Oregon Inlet directly to Rodanthe. More on the repair work is available from the Outer Banks Sentinel and an aerial photographic history of Oregon Inlet is available from the Army Corps of Engineers.

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