Still no timetable for ‘Jug Handle’ Bridge open

On June 8, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced there was another delay in the anticipated imminent opening of the Rodanthe ‘Jug Handle’ Bridge.

NCDOT explained that the delay was due to the fact that recently installed pavement markings earlier in the week did not meet NCDOT specifications for quality or reflectivity. The pavement markings were to be the final step in completing the 2.4-mile bridge over Pamlico Sound, which will bypass a section of N.C. 12 that is highly vulnerable to ocean overwash.

At that time, there was no projected timetable for when the bridge might be ready to open to traffic. More than a month later, there is still no such timetable.

In the last few days, the Voice reached out to NCDOT for updates on the project. In two emails to the Voice, NCDOT spokesperson Tim Haas wrote that “Now that all the rain has ended, the road-marking subcontractor is out working as we speak. Timing of a bridge opening depends on their progress/success.”

When asked if there were any complications affecting that work, Haas did point to a recent problem that had arisen with one of the trucks on the scene. “It’s just a matter of the marking sub-contractor getting their work done but apparently there is a transmission problem with one of their trucks, which they have just discovered is an electronics issue that will require them to tow the truck off-site,” he wrote.