Work extended on South Banks Channel Bridge in Wrightsville Beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - Due to unforeseen circumstances, the N.C. Department of Transportation has announced that work on the South Banks Channel Bridge in Wrightsville Beach is now expected to be completed in the fall.

NCDOT Assistant Resident Engineer Wanda James says the repairs needed to make sure the bridge is sustainable will take longer to complete.

“We have a salt environment down at Wrightsville Beach,” said James. “And so, with the environment, rain, weather, and the salt that we have to deal with, you’re going to have things that have to be repaired. And so, this is mainly a maintenance project.”

Work on the bridge began in 2021 with some pauses due to weather and to allow for components to be delivered.

The traffic pattern will remain as-is, with two lanes going toward the beach and one away from the beach. James says the bridge is safe, but adds that the repairs are necessary.

“By doing this project, that bridge is going to continue to be safe and the impacts to traffic is one of the things that happens because we have to come in and maintain our roads and bridges,” James said. “That increased traffic, the drivers need to be careful. They need to be paying attention.”

James believes continuing the work through this summer will help traffic patterns return to normal faster.

“We didn’t want to inconvenience the public or the citizens by opening it back up completely and then having to shut it back down for an additional project,” she said. “So, this will allow us to do all the repairs we need to do on that bridge and not inconvenience the public again.”

NCDOT says the bridge opened in 1972.

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