NCDOT acquires 27 properties ahead of Eastwood-Military Cutoff overhaul

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WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - State transportation officials filed at least 27 eminent domain lawsuits and deposited about $5.83 million in court to secure property rights for the planned $81.4 million overpass at Eastwood and Military Cutoff roads.

The filings in New Hanover County Superior Court mark a major step for the project, designated as U-5710, even as neighbors and city leaders voiced concerns over construction timing, traffic bottlenecks and neighborhood impacts.

In each filing, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said it could not reach a purchase agreement with landowners, deposited proposed compensation with the court, claimed immediate possession of the property rights and requested a jury trial to determine the final amount owed. The deposits represent the state’s appraised value of the property rights, not final settlements.

In a statement regarding the acquisition process, NCDOT noted the agency only acquires land and easements necessary for each project.

“If a negotiated settlement cannot be reached with the property owner, then the next step is to file condemnation and move forward with the eminent domain process,” the agency said. “Property acquisition is complete for the Eastwood Road/Military Cutoff project. No buildings are expected to be demolished as part of this project.”

Court filings show the project reaches well beyond the primary intersection, touching private homes, commercial shopping centers, utility infrastructure and homeowners association common areas throughout the surrounding area.

Properties involved include:

• Homes on King Arthur Drive and Brigantine Drive.
• HOA and condominium common areas in Mayfaire, Eastport, Leeward Village, Wrightsville Sound Village, 1430 Commonwealth, and Progress Point.
• Commercial and office properties along Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff Road.
• CC Landfall parcels, including sites on Military Cutoff Road and Drysdale Drive.
• Properties involving First Bank, Duke Energy, Airlie Professional Center, CenterPoint, and sites with Wendy’s lease interests.

Most complaints seek a combination of permanent rights-of-way, temporary construction easements, slope easements for road-support grading, and permanent utility or drainage easements. In some cases, the state is taking controlled-access restrictions that limit direct access to new travel lanes, ramps, or approaches.

The largest individual deposit is $1.55 million for a portion of the CC Landfall property at 1331 Military Cutoff Road.

Other top deposits include:

• Progress Point One-A (1712 Eastwood Road): $703,700
• First Bank (1701 Eastwood Road): $586,625
• 1301 Military Cutoff Road: $578,725
• CC Landfall (1720 Drysdale Drive/1319 Military Cutoff Road): $332,475

The project will build a roughly 30-foot-tall overpass carrying Eastwood Road over Military Cutoff Road, shifting left turns to secondary connectors such as Drysdale Drive. NCDOT officials say the redesign is critical to unclogging an intersection that carries about 75,000 vehicles daily and is projected to handle 100,000 vehicles per day by 2040.

However, the four-year construction schedule, slated to begin in late 2027 and wrap up by late 2031, sparked pushback from residents and Wilmington officials.

Critics note the work will directly overlap with NCDOT’s replacement of three bridges connecting Wrightsville Beach to Wilmington, located just a mile and a half away along the primary beach corridor. Wrightsville Beach business leaders and nearby residents have warned that simultaneous construction will choke access to coastal businesses and neighborhoods, with drivers facing overlapping delays through both the overpass work zone and the drawbridge corridor.

More information on the project’s cost and timeline can be found here.