Thursday, January 11, 2007

$40 Million in Repairs Will Buy 10 Years for Bonner Bridge

The NC Department of transportation released their final repair assessment for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet on Thursday. In order to keep the bridge operational for 10 years, the state must spend $40 million on repairs in the next 4 years to repair the bridge deck and substructure, as well as underwater support structures. Although long term plans for the bridge are still uncertain, more than $50 million that has 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 assessment is available from the Herald Sun and an aerial photographic history of Oregon Inlet is available from the Army Corps of Engineers.

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