Washington Baum Bridge project nears completion, traffic shifts to begin next week

Motorists driving between Manteo and Nags Head on U.S. 64 will be seeing several traffic shifts over the next several weeks as a project to rehabilitate the Washington Baum (Pirate’s Cove) Bridge nears completion.

On Thursday night, contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation moved eastbound traffic onto the outside lane of the bridge. It is the first in a multi-step process that will end with the resumption of four-lane traffic on and around the bridge.

Next week, workers will be removing the concrete median barrier that separates traffic from the construction zone. Following that, they will remove the pavement markings that divided the westbound lanes, and place new permanent pavement markings on both sides of the bridge.

Some of this work is weather-dependent, so an exact timeline cannot be established, but motorists can expect regular four-lane traffic to resume on the bridge sometime in March or April, well ahead of the mid-May deadline.

Motorists should be alert to new traffic patterns in the area and drive with caution through the work zone while the process is ongoing.

The resumption of four-lane traffic will mark the end of the $21.3 million bridge rehabilitation project, which included correcting of bumps on the bridge deck, replacing bridge joints and bearing pads, and repairing concrete in the structure.

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