MANNS HARBOR – The William B. Umstead Bridge, locally known as the Old Manns Harbor Bridge, will reopen sometime in mid-May, as work continues on a $33 million bridge preservation project.
Final touches on the bridge deck and expansion joints are underway and must be completed before the 70-year-old bridge can be considered traffic ready. Contractors hope to have that work completed in three to five weeks, weather permitting.
Once that work is complete, the bridge will reopen with single lane closures until the project is completed in late 2026. While the bridge is closed, drivers traveling between Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island can use the Virginia Dare Bridge as an alternate route.