Portions of West Salisbury Street on the bridge over Banks Channel in Wrightsville Beach will be periodically closed from now into May as crews perform drilling operations.

Intermittent lane closures on the bridge between Lookout Harbor and Lagoon Drive will be in place 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with active flagging operations to direct traffic, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Pedestrians will be detoured to the north side of the bridge.

The work, which entails drilling operations through the bridge deck for testing, is part of the Wrightsville Beach bridge replacement project, an estimated $105 million endeavor that entails replacing all three bridges that connect the New Hanover County beach town.

While the two bridges along West Salisbury Street (U.S. 74) that cross Less Cut and Banks Channel, and the South Banks Channel Bridge on Causeway Drive (U.S. 76) remain safe, they are nearing the end of their life cycle and require more frequent monitoring, inspection and maintenance, according to DOT.  

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra time for travel and to use caution when crossing the bridge. The work is expected to take about three weeks.