Wilmington council, resident opposes fixed-span option and tolling for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The proposed replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge was a major topic at the Wilmington City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 1st, with residents, community advocates and council members raising concerns about the project’s potential impact on the area.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently completed a federally required environmental assessment examining two alternatives for replacing the aging bridge.

Alternative A would use a movable span with between 65 and 135 feet of vertical clearance, while Alternative B would use a fixed-span bridge with 135 feet of clearance.

The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce supports Alternative B, with Megan Mullins, the chamber’s chief communications and public affairs officer, explaining why.

“We just want to make sure that our commuters, our workforce, the people that are riding along with our first responders and ambulances can get to where they need to go as quickly as possible,” Mullins said. “So eliminating that lift option makes more sense to us.”

But Alternative B faced significant opposition during the meeting.

Council members expressed concerns about the potential impacts of a fixed-span bridge on the surrounding area and unanimously approved a resolution calling for Alternative B to be removed from consideration.

Residents also raised concerns about how the replacement would be funded, particularly the possibility of tolls.

Leron Montgomery, president of the New Hanover County NAACP, said he opposes placing a toll on the new bridge because of the financial burden it could place on residents.

“We are not in favor of a toll because it will impact the daily lives of individuals,” Montgomery said. “Some people cross the bridge three or four times a day. That would be heavily impacted, no matter if the toll is 50 cents or how much it is.”

Wilmington City Council has also made clear that it does not support using tolls to help pay for the replacement, leaving questions about how the multiyear project would ultimately be funded.

Montgomery said he supports allowing voters to have the final say on the issue through a referendum.

Council also voted to move its September 15th meeting to the 22nd so members can attend the NCDOT’s public hearing on the replacement at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, starting at 6pm. Another meeting will be held on September 14th in Daniel’s Hall at Cape Fear Community College.

The public comment period on the environmental assessment ends October 15th. After that, the NCDOT will no longer accept comments on the replacement bridge.