![The bridge to Harkers Island, shown here in December 2023, is winner of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ annual Operations Excellence award. Photo: Dylan Ray](https://coastalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NEW-HARKERS-ISLAND-BRIDGE-120623.jpg)
North Carolina Department of Transportation officials said its Harkers Island bridge replacement project has been recognized for its use of innovative technology.
As part of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ annual America’s Transportation Awards contest, the NCDOT’s Harkers Island bridge replacement project won an Operations Excellence award. The announcement was made this week in Rogers, Arkansas, during the annual conference of Southeastern region departments of transportation.
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Ten projects from state DOTs earned awards. The Harkers Island Bridge project replacement competed with other projects that cost between $10 million and $100 million.
The Harkers Island Bridge project replaced two, 50-year-old bridges with a single, 3,200-foot-long bridge. The department said it was the first time it had built a concrete bridge with glass fiber-reinforced polymer and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer strands, which are designed to withstand the coastal environment and provide greater durability.
The new bridge opened to traffic last winter, a year ahead of schedule.
Since being selected as a regional winner, the project has an opportunity to compete for more recognition at the national level. An announcement is anticipated this fall.