Plans to replace the bridge over the Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks have been discussed for years.  It is a complicated project, but two old deeds found recently may help the planning and create a large savings for the new OBX bridge. 

A State transportation official has indicated that the discovery of two old deeds will help North Carolina save $300 million in the replacement of the bridge across the Oregon Inlet.  The existing bridge, named the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, was built in 1963.   The deeds were discovered in the archives of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.  The documents where dated from 1953 and 1968. 

These deeds give the state the right of way through the wildlife refuge.  This gives the State the ability to create the most cost effective approach rather than following the restrictions set by the refuge, and as a result there could be a significant savings in design and construction costs.  The cost for this project is estimated to be between $1.1 to $1.4 billion.