Committee hears NCDOT timeline for phased replacement of Wrightsville Beach bridges; hourly drawbridge openings planned

Neal Andrew, chair of the Bridge Replacement Committee, presided over a June 15 meeting in Wrightsville Beach where engineers and town staff outlined an updated sequence for replacing three island bridges and discussed traffic, emergency response and stakeholder concerns.

Chad Kimes of GFT Engineering told the committee that utility relocation work at the Lees Cut Bridge is expected to begin around July 26 and that replacement of the smaller Lees Cut Bridge is anticipated to start in fall 2026. Kimes said replacement of the Salisbury Street Bridge and the Causeway Drive Bridge is expected to follow, with utility relocation and bridge construction on Salisbury Street and Causeway Drive occurring concurrently.

Kimes described a phased approach for the Causeway Drive Bridge: a new span will be built just north of the existing structure, traffic will be shifted onto the new span so crews can demolish and rebuild the old bridge, and the two structures will be tied together to operate as a single crossing. Town and contractor plans call for at least one travel lane in each direction to remain open throughout construction. Kimes added that the new Causeway Drive Bridge is expected to be roughly four feet higher at its center than the current bridge. He cautioned that project timelines remain subject to change as NCDOT and the contractor refine the schedule.

The committee also heard that the Heide Trask Drawbridge will open only on the hour beginning in the fall, a Coast Guard operational change that could affect some boaters’ schedules. Kimes said NCDOT has given verbal approval for intersection work at Waynick, Lumina and Causeway, including consideration of dual left‑turn lanes onto North Lumina Avenue to improve traffic timing; the town hopes that work will be completed before bridge construction begins.

Town Manager Haynes Brigman reported the town is pursuing preliminary design and a contractor for the Nesbitt Loop project, including an expanded multiuse path to support users during construction; the Board of Aldermen has budgeted funds for that work. Committee members were told boat traffic will be able to continue during construction, subject to navigational and drawbridge scheduling.

During public comment, Parmele Boulevard residents raised concerns about pre‑construction soil‑boring crews repeatedly not appearing on scheduled days and asked who would be accountable when the bridge replacements begin. Chair Andrew said the borings described at the meeting were soil tests for piling design. Another commenter asked whether island parking would remain available and whether all three bridges would be replaced at once; the committee was told the projects will be phased, not simultaneous.

The committee approved the minutes of its March 16, 2026 meeting and set an action item asking members to provide input to the emergency‑response consultant’s planning packet before the next meeting. The town’s Chamber representative said the Chamber has met with the town manager and compiled questions about how to support the hospitality industry during construction. A DOT representative reported that permit work to begin utility location is underway and that contractor design choices are still being evaluated.

The committee will begin meeting monthly; the next meeting is scheduled for July 13, 2026. The meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.