One lane

I received the following press release today, which will be of interest if you are planning a trip to Ocracoke via Hatteras Island (or, of course, if you're just going to Hatteras).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 21, 2009
Contact: Dara Demi, (919) 733-2522

LANE CLOSURES SCHEDULED TO START TOMORROW ON HERBERT C. BONNER BRIDGE

Closures will allow crews to continue repair work on the bridge

RALEIGH — Starting tomorrow, motorists traveling across the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which spans the Oregon Inlet and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland in Dare County, will encounter lane closures during the day.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is in the process of making repairs to the bridge, and lane closures are necessary to complete the work. They will occur from 7 a.m. to dusk Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, they will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be no closures on the weekends.

Solar-powered temporary stoplights will control the flow of traffic during the closures. Flagmen may also guide vehicles through the work zone. The lane closures will remain in effect until June 15 when tourist season begins.

At no time will all lanes of the bridge be closed.

The $14.7 million Bonner Bridge rehabilitation project started in March 2008, with final completion set for November 2010. The work includes making improvements and repairs to the bridge’s support system and repairing the underside of the bridge’s road surface. Most of the remaining work will take place on the north end of the bridge. Crews will also conduct some repairs at water level.

To view photos of the rehabilitation project, visit ncdot.org/projects/bonnerbridgerepairs/gallery.

***NCDOT***

Dara Demi
Senior Communications Officer
N.C. Department of Transportation