The N.C. Department of Transportation has identified three proposed alternates for the replacement of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge in Wilmington.
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Alternate A is a bridge with a movable span with a proposed 65-135-foot vertical clearance.
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Alternate B is a fixed span bridge with a 135-foot vertical clearance and trumpet interchange improvements (allows for interchange of secondary two-way streets to a multi-lane roadway with minimal traffic congestion). Alternative B will allow ships to pass underneath without any interruption to vehicular traffic on the bridge.
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Alternate C is a fixed span bridge with a 100-foot vertical clearance (adding or subtracting 35 feet is to be determined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 408 Section and the U.S. Coast Guard) with trumpet interchange improvements. Alternative C will also allow ships to pass underneath without any interruption to vehicular traffic on the bridge.
Right of way
| $19.7 million
| $48.6 million
| TBD
|
Utilities
| $2 million
| $3.7 million
| TBD
|
Construction
| $744.2 million
| $400.6 million
| TBD
|
*Estimated costs are subject to change
Each alternate includes the following:
- Three 12-foot lanes in each direction separated by a 22-foot median, including 11-foot inside shoulders
- 15-foot multi-use path on the north side of the bridge
- 12-foot outside paved shoulders
Each alternate would change the eastern loop ramps at South Front Street to tie into Wooster and Dawson streets in downtown Wilmington.
Across the river, the bridging of Eagle Island wetlands would extend to the U.S. 17/U.S. 76/U.S. 421 interchange, with possible ramp modifications to the interchange with alternates B and C.
The proposed maximum speed limit is 50 mph.