Public meeting planned on adding Bonner Bridge rubble to reefs

By ROB ALDERMAN

Construction hasn’t even started yet for the replacement for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet, but the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries already has plans for what do with the rubble from the old bridge.

Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program has scheduled a meeting in Manteo to inform the public about plans it has to enhance four artificial reefs offshore near Oregon Inlet with materials from the Bonner Bridge demolition.  The meeting is planned for 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8, in Room 168 of the Dare County Administrative Building.

The four reefs are AR-130, AR-140, AR-145 and AR-160 (Oregon Inlet Reef). The Division of Marine Fisheries is working with the N.C. Department of Transportation to receive demolition materials from the Bonner Bridge replacement project.

Those materials will be distributed among these reefs.

The reefs are composed of rubble from the old Washington Baum Bridge and such things as sunken boxcars, aircraft, barges, and concrete pipes.

A Marine Fisheries news release says that bridge demolition is expected to begin in the spring of 2019.

NCDOT does not plan to demolish all of the bridge.  The plans are for a portion of the southern end of the bridge with catwalks for anglers to be left in place for use as a fishing pier.

For more information about the meeting and the NCDMF Artificial Reef Program, contact Jason Peters at 252.808.8063 or Jason.Peters@ncdenr.gov.