The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s office in the Wilmington area is holding later this month its quarterly “Ask an Advocate,” a casual coffee chat with Kerri Allen, the nonprofit’s coastal management program director and coastal advocate.

The discussion is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Fred & Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center in Wrightsville Beach. Those wishing to attend are asked to reserve a spot using the online form.

The Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, is a member-supported nonprofit that focuses on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast with offices in Carteret County and the Outer Banks as well.

“People care deeply about our coast, but sometimes they aren’t sure where to start or how they can make a difference,” Allen explained about the opportunity to discuss coastal management strategies and local and state issues.

“Ask an Advocate is about opening that door and helping people better understand the issues, answer questions, and find meaningful ways to get involved. We want folks to know that their voice matters, and that when communities are informed and engaged, they can have a real impact on the decisions that shape our coast,” she added.

Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach has added a new vessel to its fleet, one that is expected to decrease response times along the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers by about an hour.

The addition of the 26-foot Twin Vee vessel brings the fleet to a total of seven boats providing on-water assistance in the greater Wilmington, Hampstead and Jacksonville areas.

The new boat operates from Port City Marina.

“This addition represents a meaningful evolution for the Wrightsville Beach franchise, which has operated under the ownership of Chris Willis since 1993,” according to a Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach release. “Willis’ team, led by General Manager Captain Ryan Saporito, consists of a dozen Coast Guard-licensed captains with over 100 combined years of experience, who are ready to respond day or night.”

Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach strategically positions its fleet of purpose-built Sea Tow boats at marinas in Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington, and Carolina Beach in New Hanover County, and Hampstead in Pender County, and on trailers to help minimize response times.

“We are proud to work with Port City Marina to further enhance the boating experience near downtown Wilmington,” Saporito stated in the release. “The addition of this new vessel improves our on-water capabilities by cutting response times which allows for even better assistance to our members and boaters in the community.”

Boat captains patrol high-traffic waterways like Carolina Beach, Masonboro, Mason, Rich, New Topsail and New River inlets daily throughout the summer season.

Boat owners who join Sea Tow pay an annual rate of $249 for Gold Card membership, the benefits of which include unlimited boat towing in the member’s home area, jump starts, fuel delivery, scheduled dock-to-dock tows, and more.

Sea Tow earlier this year released a fully redesigned mobile app that offers a faster, more accurate way to request assistance, and includes intuitive navigation, real-time wind, tides and weather. The app may be downloaded on iOS via the Apple Store and on Android via Google Play.

N.C. Department of Transportation contractor crews are set begin relocating utilities starting Monday for the project to replace three Wrightsville Beach bridges.

Officials announced that, starting Monday, July 20, crews will begin moving power poles near the West Salisbury Street, aka U.S. 74, bridge over Lee’s Cut. Most work is to occur outside the travel lanes and is not expected to impact traffic.

“Should minor lane closures be required, they will be scheduled at night, and the public will be notified,” officials said.

The department called utility relocation a “critical step in preparing the area for the replacement of the bridge.” Work is expected to be complete by mid-August, weather permitting. Drivers should slow down and watch for crews working in the area, officials advised.

To receive updates regarding the Wrightsville Beach Bridge Replacement project, residents, media and local partners are encouraged to sign up via the project webpage.

Eastbound lanes on the Causeway Drive bridge over Banks Channel in Wrightsville Beach will be closed nightly beginning Monday.

Contract crews will close both eastbound lanes of Causeway Drive from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday-Friday while they drill through the bridge deck for testing.

Drilling operations are expected to be complete by July 22, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation news release.

The 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.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is offering a new, online tool to provide real-time updates on the Wrightsville Beach bridge replacement project set to begin later this year.

Anyone who signs up for the new subscriber list will be kept up to date on the project via email and text.

Those who subscribe will receive newsletter updates featuring photos, videos and construction milestones.

The project entails replacing two bridges along West Salisbury Street over Lees Cut and Banks Channel, and one on Causeway Drive (U.S. 76) over Banks Channel, all of which provide direct access to and from the New Hanover County barrier island.

The estimated $105 million project to replace the aging structures has been designed to improve connectivity and provide long-term, safe and efficient multi-modal waterway crossings, including upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists, according to DOT.

The project is slated to be complete in late 2032.

Drivers in Wrightsville Beach can expect to see work around the West Salisbury Street bridge over Lees Cut as soon as this week as crews prepare to replace the structure some time later this year.

Surveying operations and right-of-way staking will occur in the lead-up to utility relocation, which is anticipated to begin as early as late June and is a critical step in preparing the area to replace the bridge, according to information provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Work by contract crews for NCDOT to relocate utilities will require intermittent lane closures. Details regarding specific lane closures, including dates and times, will be released at a later date.

The bridge will remain open to traffic through Labor Day.

The West Salisbury Street bridge over Lees Cut is one of three bridges that provide direct access to and from Wrightsville Beach in New Hanover County.

DOT plans to replace all of these aging structures, including the bridge on West Salisbury Street and the bridge on Causeway Drive that span Banks Channel, “to improve connectivity and provide a long-term, safe, and efficient multi-modal crossing,” according to a department release.

The bridges will include upgrades for walkers and cyclists.

Additional information about the bridge replacements is available at NCDOT’s project webpage and by following NCDOT on social media.

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.