SOUTH EAST NORTH CAROLINA — As the main artery connecting New Hanover and Brunswick counties prepares to close two lanes for three months at a time in each direction, drivers will have to find alternate routes to cross the Cape Fear River.
Read more: Two lanes of the CF Memorial Bridge will be closed for repairs for months
also: The lane is scheduled to be closed for 5 months to replace the expensive CF bridge deck
This includes detours for container trucks — which range from 20 to 40 feet long and weigh tens of thousands of pounds — which, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation It will not be diverted to travel across 3rd Street from the Isabel Holmes Bridge to reach the Port of Wilmington.
Between 300 and 700 trucks will travel from Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to Coolidge Road to Shipyard Boulevard to reach the ports.
North Carolina Ports Authority Executive Director Brian Clark asked the Wilmington City Council on Nov. 27 to consider allowing container trucks to use Third Street through downtown. He said allowing trucks to and from the port to cross this road would save about 5 miles and face eight fewer traffic lights than using Coolidge Road.
In 2013, the Wilmington Metropolitan Area Planning Organization supported a request from NCDOT to add “no truck through” restrictions on Market and other roads, including Third, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth streets generally north of Wooster Street.
However, NCDOT has offered to pay compensation for any damage to Third Street or tree trimming and modifications required to accommodate trucks along Downtown Road during the upcoming bridge closure.
After deliberations, the city of Wilmington informed NCDOT on Wednesday that it would not allow container trucks to use Third Street.
“The city evaluated the request and determined that the anticipated impacts on public safety and operation of the street network made the conversion request not feasible at this time,” city spokeswoman Lauren Haviland said.
She added that the city is also developing emergency response plans, collecting data and information about the potential impacts of the bridge closure to help the community deal with the situation.
“The department will look at the existing detour route to see if any accommodations need to be made with the expected additional truck traffic,” NCDOT spokeswoman Lauren Haviland told Port City Daily. “If necessary, these changes will be made prior to closing.”
The reason the bridge is closed is to replace the ride deck, according to Division 3 engineer Chad Kimes, which can only be done by closing two lanes at once based on how the structure is put together.
From January 3 to April 1, domestic lanes will be closed to travelers arriving from Brunswick County to New Hanover. No cars will be allowed on the eastbound lanes and will have to use the Isabel Holmes Bridge instead. Operations remain closed for one week during the Azalea Festival and then the westbound lanes will be closed from April 8 until approximately Memorial Day.
NCDOT is paying Southern Road and Bridge $7.1 million to perform the extensive work, but has been incentivized with $500,000 to complete the job early, by May 23. Additionally, a $200,000 bounty is on the table to ensure its completion by the June deadline. 28. The additional funds will allow crews to work around the clock.
Trucks typically exit from the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge onto North Front Street to Burnett Street to reach the ports. Adding truck traffic to the usual downtown traffic will create a bigger headache for residents, something local officials insist must be communicated.
NCDOT publicly announced its plans for winter repair at the end of August, although exact dates and diversions have not yet been determined. Port City Daily ran a story about her on September 1; StarNews also published NCDOT’s plans for work that would severely limit traffic on July 27.
At a Wilmington Metropolitan Area Metropolitan Planning Organizations Board of Directors meeting on Nov. 29, Kimes provided an update on the reforms and impacts the closures will have. He also told the board that NCDOT will host a media event closer to the time to ensure word gets out.
However, to some the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, NCDOT has not done enough to communicate its plans.
“NCDOT should have made provisions to alert the community long before this,” Commissioner Jonathan Barfield said at Monday’s meeting.
Barfield also admonished NCDOT for not attending the meeting.
He continued: “It is a dereliction of our duty towards our society.” “This is a big deal and impacts public safety for both counties.”
The update from NCDOT was not an announced item on the county meeting agenda. The county asked an NCDOT representative to attend the Dec. 8 agenda review and Dec. 11 meeting “to provide an update,” Haviland explained. NCDOT declined the offer because there was nothing new to share.
“Our staff informed them that we have no new information to provide and will provide an update after critical meetings this week,” she added.
Regardless of what NCDOT does regarding communication, the county must coordinate its own messaging to residents, Commissioner Dane Scalise said at the meeting.
“We have to coordinate with the city, Brunswick County and Leland, pool our resources together and use our speakers to make sure the community is aware of this,” he said.
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The impending closure of the S. College Road bridge has raised concerns as nearly 500 trucks are expected to travel through the area during the 5-month duration. The closure will undoubtedly have a significant impact on traffic flow and local businesses, prompting the need for careful planning and consideration of alternative routes. With such a large number of trucks navigating through the area, it is crucial for authorities to implement effective measures to minimize disruptions and ensure the safety of all commuters.