Businesses, residents brace for impending bridge closure

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — As the closure of the G.V. Barbee Bridge inches closer, people around Oak Island are bracing for the expected negative impacts.

Construction of the bridge is only one month away and residents are not looking forward to it.

“I wish it were over right now,” said Monty Robinson, who has lived in Oak Island for years and says he uses the bridge every day.

“Just to go to Southport. To go to Lowe’s. To go to the grocery store and go shopping. It’s going to be a pain,” said Robinson.

Neighbors are not the only ones who expect to feel the effects of the closure. Local businesses on the outskirts of the island may feel them too.

“I was surprised that they would close the entire bridge down. I thought, for sure, they may have just cut one lane down for awhile, or even put a temporary bridge up. But then when we found out otherwise, it was surprising,” said Paige Brown, who owns Color Me Carolina.

Brown’s shop sits on Long Beach Road, just before the bridge. She says they may stop seeing some customers on a regular basis, but she thinks her business is strong enough that people will make the drive.

“So I feel as though, we’re still going to have traffic. We’re still going to be operating. It may not be as easy to get to me as it had been for some customers. So, just go with the punches,” said Brown.

Brown is optimistic and says it is worth closing and repairing the bridge, if it means making it safe.

“If you need something specifically, you’re going to go there. You’re going to spend the time to go there. But it’s going to cost extra money. It’s going to cost time,” said Robinson.

Robinson says the closure will be a pain, but they are going to do what they have to do.

The NCDOT will will close the bridge from mid-October to April of 2019. Some businesses around Southport and Oak Island have been selling shirts saying, “troubled bridge over water” to build awareness of the closure.