Wilmington City Council members to visit D.C. amid projected increase in cost for CFMB replacement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington City Council members are preparing to travel to Washington, D.C., next week to discuss a major construction project.

Council members will be going to the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference.

The trip will include a visit to Capitol Hill to speak with federal representatives about the city’s legislative agenda, which includes a replacement for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

A $242 million grant for the project, which had been given out by the Biden Administration, has been paused due to President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal spending.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently updated the estimated cost for a new bridge.

Now the 135-foot tall option is projected to cost $1.1 billion, up from the original $450 million estimate.

NCDOT Communications Officer Andrew Barksdale said the increase in cost was due to the impact of inflation:

NCDOT recently completed and shared an update on the cost estimates for replacing the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

While we are still considering different design options to accommodate vertical clearance needs based on direction from our federal partners, the 135-foot-tall, fixed span option that is included in the draft STIP is now projected to cost $1.1 billion. The cost is largely attributed to a refined design and inflation impacts on materials.

NCDOT will continue to work with its partners at the WMPO to move the project forward, and continue to pursue the completion of the necessary environmental documents. The department is on track to finish those documents in 2026.