NCDOT plans June public hearings on North Rodanthe bridge

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is planning a series on public hearings on the Outer Banks from June 20 – 22 on its preferred alternative for bridging a troublesome “hot spot” along Highway 12 in north Rodanthe and S-curves on Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Last month, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the revised Environmental Assessment for the Rodanthe bridge, a key step toward constructing a new permanent bridge for Highway 12 in northern Rodanthe.  

The DOT’s preferred alternative is a bridge on a new location includes a 2.4-mile-long bridge known as a “jug handle,” extending from the southern end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge over the Pamlico Sound into Rodanthe. This is a change from 2014 when its preferred alternative was a bridge within the existing easement of Highway 12 from Pea Island into north Rodanthe.

The scheduled hearings are:

Monday, June 20. Ocracoke Community Center. 999 Irvin Garrish Highway. 4 to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 21, Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center. 23186 Myrna Peters Road in Rodanthe. 4 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 22. Dare County Administration Building, Room 168, 954 Marshall Collins Drive, Manteo. 4 to 7 p.m.

There will be no formal presentations at the meetings. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the open-house hours and DOT says they are encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas and comments with staff members. There will be opportunity to submit written comments.

Comments will be accepted by NCDOT through Friday, July 15.

For additional information, call the project’s toll-free number 1-866-803-0529 or contact Drew Joyner, NCDOT human environment section at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, by phone at 919-707-6077, or by email at PublicInvolvement2@ncdot.gov.

Information about the Rodanthe Bridge, Phase IIb of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project, is available at www.ncdot.gov/projects/bonnerbridgephase2/