Residents were vocal about the financial strain the new law mandating tolls for all ferry routes will put on their families at the first in a series of listening sessions with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Transportation
Rainfall that closed NC 12 on Pea Island part of climate trend
A recent a rainstorm that one transportation engineer described as “an extreme circumstance” nearly impossible to plan for surprised even the most seasoned Outer Bankers when it closed N.C. Highway 12, although more weather like this is to be expected.
Corps presses toward fall decision on $1.3 billion harbor plan
The federal final environmental impact statement for the proposed channel deepening and widening at the N.C. Port of Wilmington is nearing the final approval stage, but Cape Fear area residents and advocates say their objections and questions about potential effects remain unanswered.
‘There’s no way’: Hanig decries rationale, rush to toll ferries
Sen. Bobby Hanig says the Jan. 1 deadline is impossible, but legislative leaders have so far refused to budge on the date by which the Ferry Division must implement tolling for the four state ferries that now are free to ride.
Manns Harbor Bridge repairs to be ‘most complete’ in decades
The harsh marine environment has taken its toll on the nearly 70-year-old William B. Umstead Bridge, and the modern materials but laborious application required are driving up the price tag and lengthening the timeline for the ongoing repairs.
Agencies plod on as audit shows Currituck bridge funding gap
Amid a bad financial outlook and local opposition and concerns, a recent state audit of the long-planned transportation project paints a bleak picture with shortfalls nearly impossible to fill.
Port plan would have ‘significant adverse impacts’: DCM
N.C. Division of Coastal Management objected to the proposed Wilmington Harbor project to deepen and widen the channel, stating that the Army Corps of Engineers’ review of the project fails to fully evaluate potential impacts to the environment, people and historic and cultural resources.
Division OKs Corps’ request to pause state consistency review
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management has granted a request by the Corps of Engineers to indefinitely pause the division’s review of whether the proposed project conforms with state coastal management program laws, regulations and policies.
Wilmington residents see no good in proposed harbor project
None of the proposed alternatives for the State Ports Authority’s plan to accommodate larger container ships at the Wilmington port would boost the local economy and any benefit would be offset by environmental costs, public hearing attendees said.
Study presents modeled views of Ocracoke highway’s future
Researchers met recently with Ocracoke Islanders and presented findings from a multiyear, University of North Carolina-led study that looked at various ways to try and save N.C. Highway 12 from natural forces.
Budget proposal would toll free ferries, hike fees on others
The state Senate’s proposed budget approved Thursday includes new tolls to ride the currently free state ferries and increases costs to transit rivers and sounds elsewhere along the coast.
Decades on, mid-Currituck bridge plan faces same hurdles
Fifty years after the need for a bridge between mainland Currituck County and its barrier island beaches was first identified, and 30 years after a draft planning document for the proposed mid-Currituck bridge was first released, a recent public meeting revealed that the same issues are still being vigorously debated, costs have skyrocketed, and funding is still lacking.
Planning association awards Duck for its shoreline project
Duck, in Dare County, recently received national recognition for its work incorporating sustainability and resilience principles in flood prevention, habitat restoration and N.C. Highway 12 improvements along Currituck Sound.
Bald Head Island ferry firm, passengers reach settlement
A proposal submitted to the North Carolina Utilities Commission earlier this month would ease pushback over schedules and issues with capacity.
Bald Head Island ferry users say change would cut capacity
A proposed change to the privately run ferry between Bald Head Island and the Brunswick County mainland got a cold reception Tuesday during a public hearing.
Emergency channel depth alarms Waterways Commission
With no dredging currently in the works and a busier-than-average hurricane season forecast, the Dare County Waterways Commission agreed this week to alert county commissioners that the emergency evacuation channel from Hatteras Island is dangerously shoaled.
