N.C. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Celebrate Grant for Bridge Project
On March 9, 2023, representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and the N.C. Department of Transportation celebrated the $110 million mega grant that will help build the replacement bridge over the Alligator River. It was one of only nine projects selected nationwide. NCDOT then began right-of-way and final design work, and put the project out to bid in 2024.
Right of Way Acquisition Begins
NCDOT authorized right of way acquisition for the Lindsay C. Warren Bridge (Alligator River Bridge) replacement at its April 2023 meeting and the acquisition phase began in early May 2023. This process and final design were completed by early 2024.
Planning & Development Begins
When planning activities began in late 2020 for the Lindsay C. Warren (Alligator River) Bridge replacement project, NCDOT drew upon extensive environmental studies that were conducted from a previous project,
U.S. 64 Improvements – Dare & Tyrrell Counties, to widen U.S. 64 to a four lane median divided roadway from Columbia to Manns Harbor, and replace the existing Alligator River Bridge and approach sections. The previous project was shelved in 2015 due to funding, scheduling, environmental and community impact concerns.
With land use (characteristics that specify certain development parameters for real property) and environmental features (land of the natural environment) remaining essentially the same, the previous project alternatives (one of a number of specific transportation improvements in a defined study area), which included six bridge alignment options, was utilized as a starting point.
A
Federal Highway Administration Type III Categorical Exclusion, that detailed the planning and preliminary design effort, was completed in August 2021. Since the completion of the Categorical Exclusion, the Project Team has continued with the development of the right of way plans and final designs, including the right of way acquisition phase which began in May 2023.