Three Wrightsville Beach bridges to undergo $105M replacement

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY-TV) — Come 2028, three Wrightsville Beach bridges will undergo a complete make over. The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced a $105 million plan which has recently been fast-tracked.

The project includes two bridges along West Salisbury Street that cross Lees Cut and Banks Channel, as well as the South Banks Channel bridge on Causeway Drive.

Wrightsville Beach mayor protem, Hank Miller said the South Banks Channel bridge replacement will include improvements for both drivers and pedestrians.

“We’re still gonna have four lanes, two on, two off the beach and then they’ll be a dedicated bike lane and a dedicated pedestrian path,” Miller said.

Planning and development are already underway and Miller says once bidding is complete and the project is delivered to a general contractor, the timeline will become clearer.

“They’re gonna figure out the best way to stage the whole thing to make it the most practical, economical, quickest way to do it for the least possible interruption,” Miller said.

A bridge committee made up of Wrightsville Beach residents and consultants will help with the bridge replacement plan.

“They’re responsible for making sure that it is painless as humanly possible for the residents by planning ahead for all the things they can see coming down the pike.”

For long-time resident Campbell Carter, who works right next to the West Salisbury Street Bridges, the project hits close to home.

“I use this bridge almost every day of my life, just to get across to the beach, I’m on the water seven days a week, so I’m using it all the time”

Carter says though he’s never had a problem the bridge, he hopes to see wider bike lanes.

“Fix up the bridge make it all nice and new,” Carter said.