Bonner Bridge Replacement

6/19/2009
Short list of Design / Build Teams

9/24/2008
Final Environmental Impact Statement

11/04/2007
Strongly in Favor of a New Bridge..

Links

Bonner Bridge Repairs NCDOT Page

Bonner Bridge Interactive Page

Bonner Bridge Photos

NCDOT Bridge Information

PROJECT OVERVIEW
(provided by NCDOT)
The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge opened to traffic in April 1963, previously travelers had relied on ferries to carry them across Oregon Inlet. McLean Contracting Company of Baltimore constructed the 2.4-mile span, which links Hatteras Island to the mainland. For more than 45 years, the bridge has provided a key connection for the transport of goods and services and the mobility of residents and tourists.  The bridge is named after Herbert Covington Bonner, a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina. Bonner was born in Washington, N.C. on May 16, 1891. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, he worked as a salesman and a farmer. In 1940, he was elected to Congress, and he served in the House of Representatives until his death in November 1965.

The current Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which spans the Oregon Inlet and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland, in Dare County, North Carolina is undergoing repairs under a $14.7 million contract.  Repairs to the bridge’s concrete started on March 31, 2008 and remain under way. Crews are chipping out the deteriorated concrete using jackhammers and replacing it with concrete applied at high pressure, which adheres quickly and easily to the existing structure. The work is scheduled to continue through November 2010.  Work is scheduled within the next 12 months to rehabilitate the bridge's existing fender system.  To see pictures of the repair work, check out the Bonner Bridge Photo Gallery

The discussion regarding construction of a new bridge at this location has been a highly debated issue.  The exact location of the new bridge, the length of the new bridge and how the bridge interacts with the existing islands and environment have been at the center of this debate.  Now add  the cost implications to each scenario and one can begin to see the complexity of this debate.  The new bridge replacement has been chosen to be Design / Build by the NCDOT for more information click the following link:  http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/altern/design_build/b2500/b2500.html