Groups Call on N. C. to Build Safer Route after Sea Reclaims Outer Banks Highway

Six conservation groups today called on the North Carolina Department of Transportation to build a safer, less-exposed emergency route for Outer Banks residents and tourists that is not dependent on the section of Highway 12 in Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge which was washed out last week during the remnants of tropical storm Ida.

For several days now, photographs and news reports have shown large impassable sections of the broken and washed out highway which is also adjacent to the house filmed in “Nights in Rodanthe.” Currently, residents and tourists are expected to travel this exposed section of Highway 12 during and after storms to reach the aging Bonner Bridge, the only non-ferry route to get on or off Hatteras Island. NCDOT plans to replace the Bonner Bridge at its current location and ignore the highway’s unreliability south of the bridge. The current damage is reminiscent of previous washouts in the same section of highway, including one in 2006.

“The recent storm is Mother Nature’s comment on NCDOT’s plan to replace Bonner Bridge at its current location and ignore access problems south of the bridge,” said Julie Youngman of SELC. “The state should put people’s safety first, build the safer, less-exposed ‘long bridge’ that bypasses the most rapidly eroding section of the island, and let nature take its course in the wildlife refuge.”

Scientific models show this exposed section of Highway 12 and two other areas of the road on the refuge are extremely vulnerable to erosion, overwash, and the creation of new inlets. The beaches south of the existing bridge are among the fastest eroding beaches in North Carolina with average rates in some areas over 12 feet a year. Many of these concerns are outlined in comments filed with NC DOT on Friday, November 13, by Southern Environmental Law Center, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, Audubon North Carolina, and Pamlico-Tar River Foundation.

The safer, less-exposed “long bridge” replacement option would replace the most vulnerable section of road with a more sheltered route on the sound-side and behind the barrier island.  It would cost less long-term than a short bridge reliant on a failing road that must continually be rebuilt until it finally succumbs to the sea. According to NCDOT’s website, the current Bonner Bridge is expected to be in good condition for another ten years.

While the NCDOT cites a lack of funds to build the safer, more dependable long bridge route for Hatteras Island, the state recently authorized a $700 million toll bridge across the Currituck Sound to the Northern Outer Banks.

“The Mid-Currituck Bridge is a matter of convenience, providing a second bridge to a section of the Outer Banks that already has a serviceable bridge to the mainland.  In marked contrast, Hatteras Island urgently needs a dependable route to the mainland,” added Youngman.

In 2003, all state and federal agencies involved in the bridge replacement project agreed that building a long bridge to bypass the eroding beaches of the wildlife refuge was the preferred option for Hatteras Island.  Political pressure, however, forced the agencies to reconsider and return to the option that is cheaper in the short run.  If the project had gone forward at that time, the bridge would be nearing completion and open to traffic in a few months.