CFMB eastbound lanes closure delayed until Monday, new traffic pattern for 3rd Street

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Drivers have a one day reprieve before both eastbound lanes of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge close. The NC Department of Transportation says due to rain in the forecast this weekend, the lanes will now close at 7:00 pm on Monday.

The lanes were scheduled to close on Sunday for a preservation project.

The closure is expected to last through March 31. The westbound lanes will not be impacted during this time.

During the closure, drivers can take Isabel Holmes Bridge, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and College Road or Interstate 140. NCDOT will use message boards to alert drivers to the optimal route.

Once the lanes do close, there will be a new traffic pattern at a handful of intersections on 3rd Street.

The NCDOT says at the City of Wilmington’s request, the NCDOT will place barricades on 3rd Street median crossovers at the intersections with Queen, Church, Nun and Orange streets. These barricades will prohibit left turns for drivers on 3rd Street, and will redirect the side-street traffic into turning right onto 3rd Street. Drivers needing to make a left turn at one of these streets will need to go to the next traffic signal on 3rd Street.

This traffic change is anticipated to help minimize the congestion on 3rd Street. The intersections will remain in this pattern until the preservation project is complete.