North Carolina Construction News staff writer
A $242 million federal grant has been awarded to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge in Wilmington, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced last Friday.
“The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is a vital lifeline for Wilmington and our economy, serving thousands of residents, tourists heading to the beach, and truck drivers transporting goods to and from the port daily,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news release.
The grant comes from the Bridge Investment Program-Large Bridge Project, representing approximately half of the current estimated $485 million cost of the project, recognizing the region’s challenges including the escalating maintenance costs of the aging bridge rapid growth.
Constructed in 1969, the bridge is a 3,000-foot-long steel vertical-lift bridge connecting Brunswick and New Hanover counties. The new structure is planned to be a high-rise, fixed-span bridge. Although the current bridge is safe and in fair condition following a major rehabilitation project completed in spring 2024, its design does not meet modern standards.
Maintenance and operation of the moveable span structure cost around $500,000 annually, with the bridge currently handling more than 70,000 vehicles daily, a figure expected to rise to nearly 100,000 by 2050.