Oak Island bridge to close for several months for repairs

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — Drivers in Oak Island will be back to only having one bridge to cross starting this fall for several months.

Starting in September, the G.V. Barbee Bridge, which carries NC 133 over the Intracoastal Waterway at Oak Island, will close for nine months.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has scheduled a bridge rehabilitation project that will continue through May 2019.

The work includes replacing the existing girders on 27 spans, and installing a new riding deck and barrier rail.

The NCDOT says it accelerated the project to avoid conflicts with the NC 211 project that will begin construction in 2019.

“This rehabilitation project will extend the life of the Oak Island Bridge,” NCDOT Deputy Division Engineer Chad Kimes said in a news release. “Once the work is completed next May, our region will have a much more sustainable bridge that will benefit drivers for years to come.”

The Oak Island Bridge will be closed to all traffic while this work is being performed. During the closure, detours and alternate routes will be available for motorists.

The estimated cost of this bridge rehabilitation is $7 million.