OAK ISLAND - The G.V. Barbee Bridge on N.C. 133 (Long Beach Road SE) over the Intracoastal Waterway will be closing for six months, starting Monday, Oct. 15, at 7 a.m. The closure is needed to allow a contractor to safely do extensive preservation work and repairs to the bridge.
The $15.8-million contract awarded to Sloan Construction of Duncan, SC earlier this year calls for the replacement of 28 spans of the bridge, a new roadway surface, and an upgrade to the existing barrier rail. There will also be improvements on a short stretch of N.C. 133 by the bridge, as well as 5.2 miles of East Oak Island Drive.
Although the contract was awarded more than four months ago, the start of work was held off until now to accommodate the summer tourism season, as well as last weekend’s U.S. Open King Mackerel Fishing Tournament.
The renovated bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by April 15, 2019, although the contractor can earn an incentive bonus for every day before that date that it opens.
N.C. 133 will be closed at the base of the bridge on both the north and south sides, with access remaining open to all homes and businesses along the highway.
A signed detour will send traffic to the N.C. 906 (EF Middleton Boulevard) bridge to get on and off the island. Lane closures are possible at other times during the project, although no closures are allowed between 6 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. on Monday thru Thursday or between 6 a.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Motorists are urged to slow down when approaching the bridge closure and to pay extra attention while traveling in the work zone and on the detour route.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.