It spans nearly 2. The bridge gives both travelers and fishermen confidence and dependability when it comes to being able to access the ocean or Hatteras Island with a solid lifespan of years. The new bridge will be named after former state Senator, Marc Basnight. Basnight grew up on the Outer Banks, graduated from Manteo High School and achieved success as a business owner who provided local job opportunities before embarking on a distinguished career of public service as an elected official.
Throughout his public service career, Basnight was a passionate and effective advocate for advancing education, providing transportation infrastructure, safeguarding the environment and other issues of public concern.
Segmental and conventional concepts produce a cost-efficient structure. Reinforced stainless steel and high-quality materials provide better corrosion prevention and will slow structural damage from sea salt, air and water. The bridge was constructed in five different stages using an accelerated construction technique of offsite concrete precasts. Larger navigational spans will provide easy access to the inlet for watercraft and marine vessels.
The project broke ground seven months later, and the new bridge was open to traffic within three years on February 25, , and officially dedicated at a ceremony on April 2, Overcoming the many obstacles of a unique and complex site, the new Marc Basnight Bridge will provide NCDOT, local residents and innumerable vacationers with a safe, reliable crossing for the next century.
Explore Our Bridge Design Experience. Bonner Bridge After nearly three decades of planning, a fortified connection for the residents and visitors to the Outer Banks in North Carolina has become a reality. Inventive Use of Proven Methods Enhanced Durability and Constructability at a Reasonable Cost The highly dynamic environment proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the project for both the designers and the contractor. Environmental Sciences. Meet our team members. Domenic Coletti.
Principal Bridge Engineer. Award of Excellence Concrete Bridge Awards. Honor Award Engineering Excellence Awards. American Council of Engineering Companies. Special Recognition Award Advancing Project and Asset Longevity Category.
Bentley Systems. Construction Excellence Award In addition, during the peak summer and fall fishing seasons, the ferries couldn't accommodate the number of tourists who were eager to explore the Cape Hatteras seashore, and long lines would ensue on both sides of the inlet.
As a result, the state and federal governments joined forces to contemplate the possibility of building a bridge that could span the inlet. A portion of this cost was passed on to the National Park Service, and the funding was orchestrated and assisted by a local North Carolina congressmen from Washington named Herbert Covington Bonner, who the bridge was eventually named after. Sadly, while Bonner was able to celebrate the successful opening of the bridge, he passed away just two years later in Washington, DC.
After the bridge opened in , Hatteras Island blossomed, with NC Highway 12 being paved all the way to the edge of Hatteras Village, and a collection of vacation rental homes popping up all along the landscape. In fact, the oldest rental homes on Hatteras Island are just 40 or 50 years old, proof that the Bonner Bridge was the single most important instrument to bringing mainstream tourism to the southern Outer Banks beaches.
While the Bonner Bridge certainly opened up an entirely new portion of the Outer Banks for visitors to explore, the original architects and planners did not anticipate the decades of stormy weather that would threaten its very existence. While the majority of these bridge closures occurred for a day or two at most after a storm, long enough for structural engineers and deep sea divers to check both the bridge itself and the concrete pilings deep underwater that held it together, one much longer closure in particular has a permanent place in local history.
In October of , during a passing storm, a dredge collided with the structure, causing severe damage to several of the spanning bridge portions, and closing the bridge for approximately 6 weeks.
During this time, emergency ferry runs were set up by the NCDOT to transport essential food and supply deliveries to islanders, as well as provide a way off the island for locals with medical appointments or family emergencies. And while the emergency ferries were certainly helpful, Hatteras Islanders were essentially stranded for weeks, with limited groceries and supplies, and completely cut off from the rest of the world. This incident also effectively shut down the tourism season for the year, and made everyone appreciate just how essential the Bonner Bridge was for both the local economy and the locals themselves.
When the bridge finally did reopen weeks later, local legend has it that the first vehicle to cross over the newly repaired Bonner Bridge was a Budweiser beer truck, and is was greeted on the southern side of Oregon Inlet with cheers. The Bonner Bridge itself is 2. Heading from the north, the initial mile or so is a scenic drive overlooking a network of saltwater canals which are often dotted by stark white ibises peeking out over the marshy grasses.
Of course, every vacationer gets a little rush going over the "hump" which has limited visibility of oncoming traffic, but some incredible towering views of Oregon Inlet, the recently remodeled historic Coast Guard station, and the northern portion of Hatteras Island in general.
After the hump, it's a smooth downhill ride to the paved NC Highway 12, which is bordered by a public parking area and exceptional fishing beaches on both the sound and ocean sides of the bridge.
While the Bonner Bridge has provided millions of vacationers with a scenic introduction to Hatteras Island and the southern Outer Banks, every good thing must come to an end, and in recent years it has become clearly obvious that the Bonner Bridge is outliving its intended period of use. Plans are in the works to replace the Bonner Bridge with a newer version, although like many current large endeavors along the shoreline, this plan is not without some controversy.
There are two camps on the bridge issue: proponents of a 17 mile long bridge that will span from Oregon Inlet to the outskirts of Rodanthe Village, and folks who favor a less expensive, replacement bridge with smaller bridges located over Hatteras Island "hot spots" that tend to flood easily, like the S-Curves outside of Rodanthe and the new Irene's Inlet that was formed in There are also a small handful of folks who want to simply let the bridge deteriorate, and revert back to the original ferry system, with permanent ferry docks set up in Stumpy Point and Rodanthe.
This route is currently an emergency ferry route, which is set-up after road closures due to hurricane damage.
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