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.
Transportation
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.
Public can weigh in on Wilmington Harbor expansion plan
The Army Corps of Engineers has kicked off a public review and comment period for its environmental study of the State Ports Authority’s controversial plan to deepen and widen Wilmington Harbor to accommodate larger ships from Asia.
Administration unveils $3B plan for cleaner air near ports
EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the new federal program’s launch Wednesday at the N.C. Port of Wilmington.
Advocates cite risks of planned shipping channel project
The proposed deepening and widening of the Wilmington Harbor to accommodate larger ships is the latest in what Cape Fear River advocates say is a long list of threats.
Waterways panel eyes Avon, emergency ferry harbors
Now that the dredge Miss Katie has improved conditions in Hatteras Inlet’s Connector Channel, the Dare County Waterways Commission is looking ahead to long-discussed projects in Avon Harbor and the Stumpy Point emergency ferry harbor.
Cedar Street update to include stormwater management
Beaufort’s Cedar Street, formerly the town’s U.S. 70 corridor, is to undergo major updates that include stormwater management and resurfacing.
Most of 2014 regional bike, pedestrian plan still just a plan
One advocate calls the mostly unrealized Croatan Regional Bicycle and Trails Plan “a critical step” in creating a true multimodal transportation system.
Inlet channel maintenance made simpler: Go with the flow
The Corps of Engineers now says it has authority to follow the deepest natural water, or best water, in the Rollinson Channel Navigation Project linking Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
Submerged power lines further delay ferry channel realignment
Underwater power lines crossing Hatteras Inlet’s Connector Channel have created another delay in finalizing the realignment of the Hatteras ferry channel.
With sale, Bald Head Island ferry to remain privately owned
The company buying the ferry and related assets promised a smooth transition with no increase in fares for at least a year.
Long-delayed Ocracoke passenger ferry gets underway
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s first passenger ferry originally planned for a 2018 launch was christened Monday and has begun making runs between Hatteras and Ocracoke.
Commission OKs turnaround area, sandbags for NC 12
The Coastal Resources Commission has given the N.C. Department of Transportation approval to build a turnaround and sandbag structure perpendicular to the shoreline where the existing highway will come to a dead end once the Rodanthe “jug handle” bridge is opened to traffic.
