State transportation officials are asking permission to disturb wetlands in Currituck Sound associated with construction of the proposed mid-Currituck bridge project.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority are proposing the 7-mile project to connect U.S. Route 158 on the mainland and N.C. Highway 12 near Corolla on the Outer Banks.
Supporter Spotlight
Work on the project to build the controlled-access toll road and two bridges is proposed to begin in June 2026 and is expected to disturb wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation, according to the application.
NCDOT and the turnpike authority submitted to North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources in September 2024 the state 401 water quality certifications under the federal Clean Water Act.
The certification is required for federally permitted or licensed activities, including construction or operations of facilities that could result in a discharge to navigable waters.
“The proposed project’s water quality impacts include fill material placed in and along the west bank of the Currituck Sound to stabilize the shoreline in the area of the bridge, as well as fill material in jurisdictional wetlands in Maple Swamp or Great Swamp,” the division said in a release.
The project is expected to permanently impact 1.21 acres of wetlands, more than 17 acres are expected to be temporarily disturbed, and there are predicted impacts to submerged aquatic vegetation, the division continued.
Supporter Spotlight
As part of the approval process, the division is holding a public comment period with a deadline of 5 p.m. March 31. A public hearing is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Currituck County Center in Barco.
The public can submit written comments until 5 p.m. Monday, March 31.
Comments may be sent by email to publiccomments@deq.nc.gov, with “Mid-Currituck Bridge” written in the subject line.
Comments submitted by mail should be addressed to Garcy Ward, Division of Water Resources, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington, NC 27889.
NCDOT’s application and the public notice from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District are available online.
