Outages Planned as Power is Transferred to the New Bridge

The Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) announced on Monday morning that islanders should expect two planned power outages on Wednesday and Thursday, as transmission cables are transferred from the old Bonner Bridge to the new replacement bridge.

The power will be out at the following locations, and at the following dates and times:

Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo and Avon:

• Wednesday, February 27 – 30 minute outage beginning at 8 a.m.
• Thursday, February 28 – 5 minute outage beginning at 2 p.m.
• Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands will also be served by limited diesel generators during Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Additional outages over the next several weeks may also occur, depending on the weather, while CHEC works to make the final switch to the new cables.

The bridge transmission cables have been in the process of being moved since November, 2018, and the process is one of the final steps for officially opening the new bridge to the public.

“The cables on the existing bridge were [installed] in the 1990s, and were reaching the end of their lifespan,” said Laura Ertle, Director of Marketing & Public Relations, in an earlier interview. “So this is a brand new set of cables at the new bridge site.”

The cables were installed underneath the bridge via a hanging conduit system, which provides more security as well during storms and inclement weather conditions.

The new Bonner Bridge replacement is expected to open within days, as soon as crews have enough sunny days in the forecast to paint lines on the roadways that lead to the bridge.

Once the new bridge is operational, crews will then get to work removing the current Bonner Bridge just east of the new site, leaving behind 1,000 feet of the existing structure at the southern end for pedestrians and anglers, and sending the old bridge debris to bolster artificial reef sites in Oregon Inlet.