Deanna McDaniel, Senior Broker
Bids to construct the new bridge in Rodanthe will be opened as early as November 15, 2016 with construction projected to start as early as January 2017.
This bridge is Phase IIB of the phased long-term improvement to NC 12 to provide and maintain safe travel to the southern end of Hatteras Island. It is meant to bypass the “S” Curves hot spot just north of Rodanthe as well as other areas of the highway that are geologically susceptible to ocean breaches.
The southern entry to the bridge will exit the existing NC 12 easement just north of the Liberty gas station in Rodanthe and extend west into the Pamlico Sound near the emergency ferry terminal to a point between 0.3 to 0.4 miles off-shore. It will then bend to the north and re-join the existing NC 12 easement approximately 1.8 miles into the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. The bridge will be approximately 2.4 miles long.
Click here to see NCDOT’s map showing the “Preferred Alternative Jug Handle” bridge, also known as “The 2014B Bridge on New Location Alternative”:
https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/PDEA/Web/NC12Rodanthe/2014B_BridgeOnNewLocation.pdf
The finished Bridge will provide two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders and have approximately 15.8 feet of clearance above mean high water. The existing NC 12 easement will remain and be maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) as a local road providing access to private properties. Upon completion of the project vehicle turn-around will be provided and approximately 1.8 miles of existing NC 12 pavement shall be removed beginning at the Refuge boundary north to the point where the Bridge re-connects to existing NC 12 and that land will be returned to the Pea Island Refuge.
This is a dramatic change for our island and should provide safe passage for the next fifty years while minimizing impact to the Rodanthe community and the environment.
More information on this project can be found on the NCDOT website here:https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/NC12Rodanthe/