Jug Handle Bridge will likely open in the first half of April

With crews currently working on the final touches of the bridge surface, the Jug Handle Bridge will likely open to traffic in the first half of April, per an update from N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Communications Officer Tim Hass.

“Basically, what’s left to do is grinding, which is finding bumps and dips on the surface, and grinding them to make as smooth a ride as possible,” said Hass. “As soon as the grinding is done, grooving [will be conducted] to prevent hydroplaning.”

After the grinding and grooving work, the last step is to paint the lane markings. On Tuesday, March 22, crews completed the railings that border both sides of the bridge, and Hass reports that the roundabout that caps off the bridge’s southern terminal will be ready to open when the bridge is complete.

Dare County and the state are in the process of planning an event to mark the bridge’s opening, such as a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and there will be an opportunity for folks to walk on the bridge before it opens to traffic, similar to the Community Day that was held for the Bonner Bridge replacement in February of 2019. This is in addition to the launch of the first-ever “Run the Rodanthe Bridge” 5-mile and 5K race, which will be also held at the new Jug Handle Bridge before it opens to the public.

“People who aren’t involved in the run will be able to walk or bike the bridge before it opens [for vehicles],” said Hass.

Any and all events will be announced once an official opening date has been determined.

The Jug Handle Bridge is considered part of Phase II of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project, and is the final bridge of the three new bridges on Hatteras Island to be built. (The Captain Richard Etheridge Bridge on Pea Island was completed in the spring of 2018, and the Bonner Bridge replacement was completed in 2019.)

Once complete, the Jug Handle Bridge will connect the southern portion of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to northern Rodanthe, bypassing the S-Turns section of N.C. Highway 12, which is highly susceptible to breaches and ocean overwash during storms.

More information on the bridge project, which includes project history, maps, documents, and videos, can be found at https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/nc-12-rodanthe/Pages/default.aspx.