COLUMBIA – The first concrete pile in a $450 million project to replace the Lindsay C. Warren Bridge on U.S. 64 was driven into the bed of the Alligator River between Tyrrell and Dare counties early Tuesday evening.
The bridge pile is one of hundreds to be used as a foundation for the new bridge, which will replace the aging swing-span drawbridge with a modern, two-lane fixed-span bridge just north of the current one.
The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2029.
The current bridge, completed in 1960, is the main route to access the Outer Banks from the west, and a critical hurricane evacuation route. The aging swing span is maintained regularly but is prone to occasional mechanical failures which force motorists onto a 99-mile detour.
The new bridge will also improve river traffic, as more than 4,000 boats pass through the swing span each year.