Frequently Asked Questions

Town staff has remained actively engaged with the NCDOT from the early stages of the project. The Board of Alderman have also established a Bridge Replacement Committee that is made up of stakeholders from across the community. The committee’s purpose is to be proactive in addressing the needs and concerns of the community and ensuring the best possible outcomes are achieved for the Town.

The Town has hired a transportation consultant to assist and direct staff and the committee with project oversight, communications with NCDOT, traffic analysis, emergency management response, and other engineering and consulting services. In addition, the Town has also hired a public safety consultant whose role is to work closely with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and Police Department to plan for and mitigate any potential impacts to fire, police, and EMS services. This action ensures that essential public safety services remain uninterrupted and fully prepared throughout the duration of the bridge replacement project.

The Bridge Replacement Committee appointees represent all areas of the community, and include both residential and commercial interests. Representatives were appointed by the Board of Alderman from the South End, North End, South Harbor Island, North Harbor Island, and the business community. 

The Bridge Replacement Committee currently meets once a quarter on Mondays at 10am. See the main Bridge Replacement webpage for the meeting dates. The meetings are open to the public.

It is expected that the committee will begin meeting more regularly once additional project detail emerges.

Currently, the project remains in the design stage, and the NCDOT has begun the process of analyzing and initiating right-of-way acquisition for the project.

At this time, utility relocation and other minor project construction is expected to begin sometime in 2026, with the major bridge replacement construction activity beginning in the Spring of 2028.

To accommodate the new bridges, existing developed and undeveloped property will be needed. The NCDOT is currently evaluating rights-of-way acquisition necessary for the project. Rights-of-Way (ROW) acquisition refers to the process of legally obtaining the right to use someone’s property for the purposes of building or maintaining infrastructure such as roadways and utility lines, by either purchasing the property outright or acquiring an easement from the property owner.

The Town of Wrightsville Beach is not involved in determining the rights-of-way needed for the project, and all rights-of-way acquisition activity will be conducted by the NCDOT.

The NCDOT has not finalized the design for the three bridges. There are preliminary designs for the project, but those are likely to change as rights-of-way acquisition and utility relocation needs are determined. 

Because the final design is not complete, NCDOT is still determining the construction phases for all three bridges. The project page on the NCDOT website contains an outline of what may occur with the project, but even that information is speculative at this point. 

As soon as the Town is confident in the construction plan, we will share it on this page. Both the Town and NCDOT understand the importance of maintaining ingress and egress on the island, and access will be emphasized during the construction phasing process.

With NCDOT still completing the design phase, and the construction plan for the three bridges has not been finalized, so we do not know the answer to this question. We do know that both the Town and NCDOT share the same goal of completing the projects as quickly as possible, while also maintaining adequate access on and off of the island. Once we have confirmed timelines from the NCDOT and contractor, we will share this information with the public.

This is a question we still do not have the answer to. As we collect more information from NCDOT on the construction plan and phasing of the projects, we will be able to better understand the impacts to traffic flow and timing on the island. 

The Town will be engaging a transportation consultant to assist us with developing a plan to maximize traffic flow during the project.

Representation from both Wrightsville Beach Police and Fire Departments are on the Bridge Replacement Committee, and are actively engaged with Town management on how to maintain high service levels during the project. The Town has hired a public safety consultant whose role is to work closely with the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and Police Department to plan for and mitigate any potential impacts to fire, police, and EMS services. This proactive step ensures that essential public safety services remain uninterrupted and fully prepared throughout the duration of the bridge replacement project. As more project details emerge, the Town will share its plans for public safety services.

Yes. Smaller construction impacts related to the project can be expected prior to the bridge replacements beginning. These impacts will be related to utility relocation, such as power, water, sewer, and data lines. An exact date for when these relocations may begin has not been determined yet, but the Town will ensure NCDOT provides as much advance notice as possible to minimize your impacts.

The simple answer to this is that the project is still in its very early stages, and many of the design and construction details that would help us answer those questions have yet to be finalized. We understand this is frustrating for residents and business owners, and we will do everything we can to update the public in a timely manner. 

We know the impacts will be significant, and the Town is taking proactive efforts to prepare and respond to these impacts when they occur. Accurate, timely, and honest communication will be a top priority throughout the project.

After an initial assessment of the bridges, the NCDOT proceeded with emergency repairs to keep the existing structure in safe and working condition. Ultimately, the NCDOT determined that replacement was the best long-term solution and secured the necessary approvals to proceed with a full, multi-year project beginning in 2028. The previous repairs and this replacement project are funded and led by the NCDOT. The Town of Wrightsville Beach is committed to ensuring the safety of its residents and will continue to update the website with the latest news and closure information.