NC DOT officials closed the 2.5-mile Bonner Bridge this month. It is the only bridge onto a 60-mile stretch of Outer Banks that extends over the Oregon Inlet and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland. The bridge, built in 1963, was designed to last thirty years. Tests revealed that the bridge is in worse shape than was suspected and poses a serious threat. So, residents and visitors must use emergency ferry service for the time being. DOT hopes to get full ferry service soon. However, as many as 13,000 vehicles traveled this stretch of NC 12 in season and the ferry can only handle up to 760 cars a day in both directions. Environmentalists want a new bridge that would extend seventeen miles so as to circumvent the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. They argue that would also protect the bridge from the frequent breaches that now occur after severe storms.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry Terminal are located on Hatteras Island.
UPDATE: The Bonner Bridge has just reopened! A company was hired to place interlocking jacks and sand bags on both sides of the bridge. This is a temporary solution as major repairs on the bridge still need to be addressed.
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