There has been a lot of news coming out of Pea Island this past week. For fans of improved an improved transportation system connecting Hatteras Island with the northern Outer Banks, it’s great news.
Bonner Bridge opening moved up.
Perhaps most importantly, the opening date for the replacement span for the Bonner Bridge has been moved up. It had been sometime in March but NCDOT just sent out notices that they expect to open the bridge to traffic this week.
In the meantime, Dare County and NCDOT will hold a Celebration of the New Bridge next Saturday, February 9. Grab a camera and walking shoes or a bike because the bridge will be open to pedestrian and foot traffic.
Right now the weather looks promising, if cold and blustery.
Jug Handle Case Fails Court Challenge
The Rodanthe homeowners nonprofit Save Our Sound brought suit to stop construction of the Jug Handle that would bypass the S Curves north of Rodanthe. Late last month the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court ruling in favor of NCDOT. The Island Free Press has a great article telling what it’s all about.
“A federal appeals court dismissed an appeal by a group of Rodanthe property owners to halt the construction of the 2.4-mile Jug Handle Bridge on January 23, upholding a 2018 lower court ruling to allow construction of the bridge to move forward.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Wildlife Refuge Association in a case brought by the Rodanthe group, known as Save Our Sound OBX, which argued that the state and federal agencies responsible for the new bridge failed to consider alternatives, and did not adequately assess the effects on the local environment. The group also stated that the Jug Handle Bridge could disturb a shipwreck in the area – the Pappy’s Lane Wreck – which is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and which is believed to be a World War II assault vessel.”
For the complete story in the Island Free Press, click here.