Army Corps of Engineers recommends higher clearance for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has ruled against one of the proposed alternatives to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge due to its potential impact on maritime navigation in Wilmington Harbor.

In a formal letter sent to the NC Department of Transportation last week, the Wilmington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it will no longer evaluate any plans to construct a fixed bridge with less than 135 feet of vertical clearance above the current mean higher high water (MHHW) level. The agency determined that such a structure would “negatively impact the usefulness” of the federally authorized Wilmington Harbor Federal Navigation Project.

The Wilmington Harbor channel, which runs under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, is federally authorized to accommodate vessels up to 38 feet deep and as tall as 147 feet, based on a 1996 feasibility study. While the current bridge—built in 1969—lifts to provide 135 feet of vertical clearance.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is considering two replacement options for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge:

• Alternative B would construct a fixed bridge with a 135-foot vertical clearance and 450-foot horizontal clearance.
• Alternative C proposed a clearance of 100 feet, plus or minus 35 feet, and a horizontal clearance of 135 feet.

After completing a technical review, the Corps concluded that any bridge built with less than 135 feet of clearance would interfere with the movement of commercial vessels in the harbor, which could range up to 147 feet tall based on existing channel specifications.

While analysis of Alternative C has been halted, the Corps confirmed it will continue reviewing other aspects of the project.

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement has been a subject of local debate. Earlier this year, local leaders from Wilmington and Leland publicly opposed the possibility of implementing a toll to fund the project. However, the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization asked the NCDOT to explore all funding options, and a recent NCDOT report concluded that tolling may be the only viable solution to pay for the estimated $1.1 billion project.