Wilmington City Council unanimously opposes using tolls to fund Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday night opposing the use of tolls to fund future replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

Councilmember Luke Waddell, who serves as Vice Chair of the WMPO Board, introduced the resolution opposing the use of tolls. The resolution was seconded by Councilmember David Joyner.

 “It’s just wrong on every single level,” Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said. “There’s other mechanisms and ways that the state can find money to make this a reality if they so choose, but it’s going to be up to them. This is an important part of the state, ladies and gentlemen, and we all need to speak up and have our voices heard… I’m very much against taking a public asset of this magnitude and giving it to a private entity to make money on. It’s just wrong on every single level, and it should not have even been brought forward as an option.”

At the next meeting of the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO), board members will vote on whether they want the NCDOT to continue work it is doing to look at funding options for bridge replacement.