Cape Fear neighbors give public input on Cape Fear Crossing

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The state department of transportation is giving the public two chances to look and give input on the proposed Cape Fear Crossing over the Cape Fear River.

NCDOT officials say a new bridge is needed to meet the growth estimated at the ports and estimated between Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. State transportation officials unveiled more information Monday afternoon on the bridge and roadway, but where it starts and ends is still up in the air.

“We all see how much worse the traffic is now,” said Terry Herrin who lives in southern Wilmington. “It’s only going to get worse.”

Right now NCDOT has several routes on the table, but many questions from neighbors.

“We need to balance the needs of residents and the commercial side,” said Joanne Donaghue who lives in Leland.

For many from Leland who attended the hearing and open house, there stood one major concern.

“Three of the proposed routes land right in our backyard,” said Donghue who lives in a portion of Brunswick Forest.

Neighbors say some of Leland’s most expanding neighborhoods in Mallory Creek and Brunswick Forest could be in the crosshairs of the new roadway.

The bridge could ultimately take traffic from the port to highway 17 or 74/76. It would start at either Carolina Beach Road, Shipyard or Independence Boulevard. It would end into Brunswick County around or through several Leland neighborhoods connecting to I-140.

Detailed route options for the Cape Fear Crossing (Andrew James WWAY/NCDOT)

“To have a highway put right in your backyard, it’s just not right,” said Leland resident Brandon Smith.

DOT officials say the wheels are still turning on project plans. The project itself still has another environemental impact hurdle to complete according to DOT personnel at the meeting.

“We don’t have a preferred alternative right now,” said Jamille Robbins who handles public involvement and group community studies for NCDOT. “We’re just getting down to that one alternative. So public feedback is really going to help us get to that decision.”

Robbines said the official designs of the bridge also will take a year before they are complete and fully revealed to the public.

Leland and Wilmington neighbors seem to share a clear decision that there are better options than what is in front of them. Even those not impacted like Herrin see a path around neighborhoods like Brunswick Forest and Mallory Creek.

“It seems to make more sense to me that the routes that go south that go below Brunswick Forest that connect to the end of I-140,” said Herrin. “As far as the New Hanover side it’s always been my understanding that we were looking at Independence Boulevard being where the bridge would be.”

Comments may also be submitted electronically using the project’s website ​or NCDOT’s online engagement portal. Comments may be submitted through May 16, 2019.

NCDOT will hold another meeting Tuesday night at the North Brunswick High School gymnasium.