Repairs finished on Bonner Bridge on Outer Banks

RODANTHE, NC (AP) — Repairs on the Bonner Bridge across Oregon Inlet on North Carolina’s Outer Banks have been completed.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported that the repairs started five months ago were finished on schedule Monday.

The $1 million project required the closure of one lane of the bridge during weekdays. Workers removed and replaced loose concrete on the 52-year-old bridge.

Plans to replace the bridge are on hold as state officials and environmental groups try to negotiate a compromise following lawsuits.

The state wants to build a nearly three-mile bridge across Oregon Inlet at a cost of about $215 million.

Environmental groups prefer a 17-mile bridge bypassing the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. The plan would create the second longest bridge in the United States and cost more than $1 billion.

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