WILMINGTON — Half of the dozen proposed project alternatives have been eliminated for the Cape Fear Crossing, a large-scale transportation project in the works to improve traffic flow in New Hanover and Brunswick counties and increase accessibility to the port here, Wilmington Biz reported.
Planners for the project, including members of the Wilmington Urban Area Planning Organization and local, state and federal agencies, have agreed to eliminate six of the 12 alternatives under study, including the two that would affect Wilmington’s historic district, according to Mike Kozlosky, the planning organization’s executive director.
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The efforts are moving toward the final decision on one of the alternatives scheduled to be made in summer 2019.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation seeks to improve, upgrade or create new roadways, improve traffic flow and enhance freight movements to and from the North Carolina Port of Wilmington.
New infrastructure across both counties would be required for several of the alternatives under consideration, including three different potential bridge locations over the Cape Fear River that would connect the counties.
Design changes for alternatives south of the port are currently being prepared in response to a request from the State Ports Authority and the planning organization to accommodate present and future shipping requirements.
Although several routes were eliminated, Kozlosky said, much work still needs to be done. He added that the goal is to identify the least environmentally damaging and most practical alternative as well as identify secure funding for construction and right-of-way acquisition.
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