Cape Fear Memorial Bridge lanes opening ahead of schedule

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — All lanes of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge are scheduled to open ahead of schedule.

After two months of work, the eastbound lanes will open late on March 26th. The NCDOT says while work to reopen the lanes is anticipated to start at 7:00 p.m., the process will take several hours to ensure drivers and crews are safe.

Crews will need to remove barrels and change pavement markings and signage.

On the same night, the barricades on 3rd Street will be removed, allowing drivers to turn left.

“This has been a team effort,” Division 3 Engineer Chad Kimes said. “I first want to thank the public for their patience. While we are not finished, I also want to congratulate and celebrate what has been accomplished by our staff, our contractors and partners.”

The Azalea Festival will take place April 3rd through 7th at various times and locations in Wilmington. While all lanes of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge will be open, some traffic patterns will be different to accommodate the thousands attending the festival.

Once the festival is over, NCDOT’s contractor will continue with the preservation project of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

Work to close the westbound lanes of the bridge, from Wilmington toward Leland, is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on April 8th and take several hours to complete.

Once the westbound lanes are closed, drivers will be encouraged to take the Isabel Holmes Bridge, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and College Road or Interstate 140. NCDOT will continue to use message boards to alert drivers to the optimal route.

The westbound lanes are anticipated to reopen to traffic ahead of Memorial Day weekend.