There’s a slight dilemma on which Cape Fear Memorial Bridge option to choose
"Why was the community given three options if 135 is the most critical component of the bridge construction."
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY)–Plans to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge are still ongoing as discussed in Wilmington’s City Agenda Review Meeting Monday morning. However, we’re learning about a slight dilemma that may be holding up the decision process for which bridge option to choose.
“Why was the community given three options if 135 is the most critical component of the bridge construction,” Mayor Bill Saffo questioned.
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is a soft spot for Wilmington mayor Bill Saffo, as he questioned two representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation about the bridge’s replacement.
“It was that way with the Skyway 20 years ago—the navigational passage. You have navigational passages on the 135 when the bridge is raised. You have navigational passes on the Isabel bridge when you lift it. So, why was this given as an option to this community,” Saffo explained.
The topic of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge surfaced at The City of Wilmington’s agenda review meeting Monday morning.
If you can remember, there were three replacement options. Option A was a movable bridge with a 135-foot clearance. Option B was a stationary bridge with a 135-foot clearance. Option C, which brings us to where we are on Monday, is a fixed bridge with a 100-foot clearance.
Councilmember Salette Andrews planned to introduce a resolution at the city council meeting on Tuesday to support the 100-foot fixed-span bridge option. However, the NCDOT says option C does not pass the guidelines.
“100-feet does not pass the guidelines. We need to study more and get more data points before we come to a conclusion,” Landon Zimmer with the NCDOT explained. “From there, we can look at the grant money.”
“Do you see a world where it could jeopardize our funds from the state or federal level,” Councilmember Luke Waddell asked.
“Yes. I do. We’ve heard from our state representatives they want 135 feet,” Zimmer answered back.
Last year, The Biden Administration announced a federal grant for $242 million to cover half of the bridge’s cost. However, that cost was based on the 135-foot plan.
“I believe that the 242 was at 135 feet. We don’t have that money in the bank. That’s been promised to us- that’s been embarked on by the federal government,” Zimmer shared.
Last week, an NCDOT spokesman said the grant is paused due to not having an agreement in place. The department is working with the federal government to determine when the grant could move forward.
Don’t forget, even if the federal grant does go through, there’s still about $100 million in funds that need to be raised outside of the federal and state governments to cover the cost of the bridge. Despite that, Andrews believes this bridge plan is the least impactful on residents and the most cost-efficient.
