Tag Archives: bridge

Outer Banks Link Love: 2.3.12 – Island Happs

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Outer Banks Link Love

Outer Banks Link Love

Here’s this week’s edition of Outer Banks Link Love – all the stories/links I couldn’t get to on the blog this week.

When I’m faced with a good news/bad news situation, I’m the type of person that likes to get the bad out of the way first so I can end on a good note. So, let’s look at the not-so-great links first.

  • Five months after Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on the Outer Banks, her effects are still being felt. Sands that shifted during Ms. Irene’s visit have created some of the worst shoaling conditionsthe ferries have seen between Hatteras and Ocracoke.  Add this channel to the list of dredging needs on the OBX!As a reminder, here’s what Hurricane Irene looked like:
  •  While we’re on the subject of that nasty lady Irene, the news broke this week that a decision on how to find a “permanent” – permanence is all relative on a sand bar – solution to fix the breaches on Hatters after Irene’s visit has been delayed. It was determined that the engineers need more time to assess a possible 7 mile bridge that would run from the Ranger Station Inlet, currently spanned by the temporary bridge, to the village of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island. Hmmmm…so how do we access all of the PUBLIC conservation land then?
  • In a previous edition of OBX Link Love, I shared the news that Corolla is getting pretty close to getting it’s first new school since 1957. Eh, not so fast. Seems the NC State Board of Education may wait another month to make their vote on the new OBX charter school. Bureaucracy at its finest.
  • Here’s a nice story of an islander visiting another island – from Maine to the Outer Banks. It’s a good description of an OBX trip and the hospitality they encounter. It’s interesting the think that “island life” is a different sort of existence…but I guess it is.

Should I close with food or art? Tough one. Let’s start with food and close with art…

  • Did you know there is an Outer Banks chowder? Yep, we have our own chowder, thank you very much. Here’s a list of 7 Popular Chowders Across the US.  ”Outer Banks” Clam Chowder does not include cream. Instead, the standard recipe is thickened with flour and seasoned with plenty of pepper.
  • Here are the results from the 34th Annual Frank Stick Art Showshowcasing the art of OBX locals. 110 entries! And here’s the best in show…congrats Ray Mathews.
    Frank Stick Art Show - Best in Show - Ray Mathews

    Frank Stick Art Show - Best in Show - Ray Mathews

    Time Capsule:

    Here’s the beach report from 2.4.2011. It was definitely a chilly winter last year, but the FISH WERE BITING! Not so much this year. And my winter beard was giant…and awesome. Makes me want to bring that beast back. Hmmmmm.

Outer Banks Link Love: 1.20.12 – Lots o’ Local News

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Outer Banks Link Love

Outer Banks Link Love

Here’s this weeks love for all of the links I couldn’t get to. A bunch of local OBX news to pass on.

Enjoy the link love…

  • Congrats to local Outer Banks surfer, Kim Diggs for landing a full-page spread in the new Surfing magazine. Always great to see an OBX local hit the big time.
  • New Outer Banks bridge one step closer to being a reality. The final environmental impact study was just released for the Mid-Currituck bridge. What do you think, does the OBX need another bridge?
  • The Bodie Island Lighthouse restoration is back on! After almost a year in hiatus, the additional funding for the project has been approved, and work should start at the Lighthouse by late February. Hopefully we’ll be climbing to the top come fall!
  • The Coast Guard earned their pay this week, and hauled in a sailor from a sinking sailboat off of Hatteras.
  • There’s no doubt Lowe’s is on the OBX. And now that they are here, they are bringing 125 jobs with them.
  • Looks like NatGeo is going to do a feature on the Outer Banks. We have to wait until June to see it, but pretty cool.
  • Are you aware that the Outer Banks has some fantastic golf courses? And you can setup an OBX golf package so you can play them all! Sweet.
  • Check out this awesome story about a horse trainer working with the Outer Banks wild horses. The wild horse whisperer?!
  • Got any OBX Civil War artifacts? The Outer Banks History Center is on the hunt for OBX Civil War memorabilia for an upcoming exhibit.
  • Any country music fans out there? How about Randy Thompson fans? Seems that good ol’ boy Randy enjoyed New Year’s on the Outer Banks. Love OBX celebrity sightings!
  • We’ve been sharing a lot of Outer Banks Everyday Magic stories recently, and here’s a great OBX story that wasn’t so magical…then again, maybe an adventure that turns into a lifelong family story is magical.
  • I’m not sure if the OBX needs saving, but just in case, here’s your chance to save the Outer Banks.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 6.17.11 – Let the beach weekend begin!

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Outer Banks - 6.17.11 - Great Day at Avalon Pier

Outer Banks - 6.17.11 - Great Day at Avalon Pier

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Friday, June 17, 2011.

This video was shot at the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM…then a quick stop at the Lillian St. beach access.

Happy Friday! It’s been a mild week on the OBX with temps in the upper 70′s and lower 80′s all week, but just in time for the weekend, the temps are jumping into the 90′s! There’s a mix of sun and clouds this morning, with a few showers (the plants are loving it!), but the sun will be out this afternoon, and temps will climb to the 90′s. Sun and 90′s all weekend.

There is a nice offshore wind out of the southwest adding a cool breeze to the day. The offshore wind is perfect for cleaning up the little swell we have in the area. The swell is only in the knee to waist range, but it is very clean with the southwest wind. The water is warm, the air is hot, and the surf is clean, so even if it’s small, it’s a good day to be in the water. Definitely worth a longboard session.

Outer Banks fishing is getting better everyday. Offshore is seeing dolphin, big eye tuna and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, and Sound are very active with a wide variety of fish – blue fish, Spanish mackerel, flounder, spot, speckled trout, croaker – but the big catch of the day is cobia! Our friends over at Rock Solid Fishing (www.RockSolidFishing.com) gave us a great report from their near shore fishing trip yesterday, and they landed four big cobia, with the biggest topping out at almost 80 pounds!

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 5.16.11 – Feels like summer!

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Outer Banks - 5.16.11 - Great Spring Day at Avalon Pier

Outer Banks - 5.16.11 - Great Spring Day at Avalon Pier

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, May 16, 2011.

This video was shot at 10 AM at the Lillian St. beach access in Kitty Hawk.

Already May 16th?! Wow, May is flying by. Really starting to feel like summer. We had a gorgeous OBX weekend with sun and temps in the upper 70′s, and that weather is going to carry into this week. Sun and 70′s with the chance of a few isolated thunderstorms, but the isolated thunder boomers are pretty standard for this time of year. As the temps and humidity pick up, the Outer Banks tends to see afternoon, isolated thunderstorms. They are generally not too widespread, but there’s always a chance for a quick shower.

There is a fun longboard wave out there today. We had good swell all weekend, but the wind was not matching up to clean the surf. Most of that swell has died down, but we have a good offshore wind this morning cleaning up the leftover swell, and making a great longboard wave. After today, it looks like the end of the week is our best chance for more surf.

The Outer Banks fishing is picking up quite a bit. There are a wide variety of fish in the area, and catches from a variety of spots.

- Offshore is still seeing tuna (mainly yellow fin), dolphin, and some bill fish!
- Near shore = blue fish and Spanish mackerel
- Piers = sea mullet and blue fish
- Sound = Spanish mackerel, blue fish, flounder, sea mullet, & blow toads

Enjoy!

Outer Banks Bridge in Need of Support?

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Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Preferred Alternative

Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Preferred Alternative

The Mid-Currituck Bridge has been a long time coming. Stops and starts, much debate, rumors o’ plenty, and questions about funding.

Until recently, it seemed like the bridge was a go, but the lackluster economy and the elections last November may have shifted the tides. Reports are starting to circulate that the Mid-Currituck bridge is in need of immediate support to assure the North Carolina General Assembly allocates the appropriate funding necessary for the project.

The bridge is meant to decrease the amount of traffic congestion for travelers during vacation season as well as for hurricane evacuation routes. The bridge would also save up to 36 miles in driving distance and up to an hour in driving time. Funding for the bridge has always been a debate, but project coordinators insist that the bridge would create jobs and significant tax revenue for North Carolina through toll revenue.

Although the North Carolina Department of Transportation has elected to go forward on building the Mid-Currituck Bridge, supporters want to make sure funding continues without significant delays. Any changes to NCDOT appropriations may cause a possible vote for continuation or non-continuation of the funding for this particular project. With no other project having such a leverage of tax payers’ dollars, the importance of the said “gap-funding” for the project is still being debated.

If you are interested in helping you may simply pass this on, write letters (for sample, click here) or send e-mails to those state representatives listed in this link. When sending a letter or e-mail please carbon copy the following local elected officials:

Honorable Bill Owens
(Bill.Owens@ncleg.net, 919-733-0010)
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 611
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Honorable Timothy Spear
(Tim.Spear@ncleg.net, 919-715-3029 )
300 N. Salisbury Street, Room 402
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Honorable Stan White
(Stan.white@ncleg.net, (919) 715-8293)
16 W. Jones Street, Room 1121
Raleigh, NC 27601-1121

New Outer Banks Bridge Continues to Move Forward

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The saga of the Mid-Currituck Bridge continues. The plans are still a bit in flux, but an important step forward was made yesterday when the North Carolina Turnpike Authority chose one of two proposed routes.

It seems traffic and congestion concerns will keep the proposed bridge out of the small town Aydlett.  Instead, the toll booths on the mainland side will be closer to Coinjock.

The proposed bridge is a seven mile, two lane toll project that would cross Currituck Sound and connect the mainland at U.S. 158 near Aydlett with N.C. 12 on the Outer Banks south of Corolla.

The bridge could cut about 50 miles off the drive from Hampton Roads to the Northern Outer Banks. It is expected to reduce traffic congestion as well as provide an alternate hurricane evacuation route for the northern Outer Banks.

Its estimated to cost about $660 million and open in 2016, and the toll could cost drivers $6 to $12 each way to help with funding the project.

Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Preferred Alternative

Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Preferred Alternative

Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Alternatives

Outer Banks Mid-Currituck Bridge Alternatives

New Outer Banks Bridge Gets the Go-Ahead

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Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks

Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks

After 47 years of use and two decades of planning/debating, the replacement for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge that connects the northern Outer Banks to Hatteras Island was finally approved last night.

The Virginia Pilot is reporting that the Federal Highway Administration made the approval official Monday night by signing a record of decision giving the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) green light to move forward with construction of the replacement bridge.

The planning and debating have been on-going for years, and the Bonner Bridge has far exceeded its expected 30-year life span.  Now that an approval is in hand, a sense of urgency is taking over…rightly so.  The Bonner Bridge is the only access to Hatteras Island by land, and nearly 2 million vehicles cross it every year (11,000 per day during the summer!).  The bridge is vital to maintain tourism to the area, but it is also essential to safety since it is crucial for evacuations.

The replacement bridge will be designed and built under the same contract, and NCDOT already has three eligible design-build teams expected to compete for the contract.  Bids for the $300 million project will open in June 2011, construction will start in early 2012, and the new bridge will be open to traffic is 2015…assuming all goes well.

The plan is to build the new bridge parallel with the current span, through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.

New Outer Banks Bridge Headed for Approval Problems?

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Mid-Currituck Bridge

Mid-Currituck Bridge

The Virginia Pilot recently ran a very insightful article about the potential problems facing final approval for the proposed mid-Currituck Bridge.

The debates surrounding the bridge have echoed for years, and earlier this year it seemed a final conclusion in favor of the bridge was coming to a close.  The proposed bridge would begin near Aydlett, about 25 miles south of the Virginia-North Carolina line, and stretch across the Sound to Corolla.  It is believed that the bridge would cut travel time for visitors headed to northern Outer Banks.

At this point, the closest access to the Outer Banks is the Wright Memorial Bridge, about 20 miles south of Aydlett.  As a result, travelers headed to the northern end of the Outer Banks are forced to head 20 miles south to Kitty Hawk, and spin around onto Rt. 12 to head north another 10 – 20 miles to reach Duck and Corolla.  Clearly not ideal.  The convoluted route has long been a source of safety concerns. A new bridge is expected to reduce evacuation times, boost tourism on both sides of the sound and curb pollution from idling vehicles.

However, there are concerns.  Environmental, zoning, construction, etc.  But the debates on these issue have already been voiced and heard, and the major project still seemed poised for approval.

Not so fast.

The scope of the US political spectrum shifted a bit with the recent elections in November, and the Republican lawmakers who clawed their way back into the NC General Assembly last month are looking for much needed budget cuts.  Seems the mid-Currituck Bridge could be on the chopping block.

The state lawmakers need to close a projected $3 – 4 billion (yes, with a B!) deficit, and the bridge offers a pretty significant savings.  The current plans for the bridge call for initial funding at $15 million per year, but that figure has the potential to rise to $28 million per year in 2013…and continue for 40 years.

Seems like the debate is far from over but conclusions could be reached in the near future.

New Outer Banks Bridge Could See Further Delays

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Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks

Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks

A new bridge to replace the failing Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks is running into the potential for further delays.

The 2.5 mile Bonner Bridge linking northern Outer Banks to Hatteras Island opened in 1963 and was designed to last 30 years; quick math ends the lifespan in 1993…17 years ago!  Over the years, the bridge has been battered by strong currents, even stronger storms and damaging saltwater.  The structure is in need of replacement, but the approval process has been slow, to say the least.

The bridge is currently rated poor, but the state has spent millions for repairs to keep the span safe until it is replaced.  However, even these repairs have a lifespan that ends around 2017.

Planning for the replacement began 20 years ago, but the project has been slowed by environmental challenges, government agency disagreements, controversy about the design, and threats of lawsuits.  An environmental assessment was released in May, and most people have assumed the planning marathon was nearing the end and the construction would start soon.  But those assumptions are being called into question after a recent public hearing.

Transportation officials are hesitant to commit to a timeline before reviewing all of the comments on the current Environmental Assessment to determine whether there are any significant changes from the previously–approved plan. If there are changes, another supplement to the environmental plan would be required, which would then require additional public review period before recording a final decision.

Some comments submitted by environmental groups have indicated that impacts have changed significantly and that an important environmental review in the plan is flawed.  This seems to lead to the potential for further environmental assessment…and more delays.

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS

If you missed the public hearings, you can still submit comments until Aug. 9.

Citizens who did not speak at the meetings but would like to provide comments can mail them to Drew Joyner, Human Environment Unit Head, NCDOT, 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598. They may also call or e-mail their comments to Drew Joyner at (919) 431-6700 or djoyner@ncdot.gov.

NCDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, and other agencies will review the comments received and then determine if additional environmental studies are needed.

To read the Environmental Assessment and view the project maps, visit the NCDOT Web site or the Outer Banks Task Force Web site.

New Outer Banks Bridge Approved in NC Budget

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Mid-Currituck Bridge

Mid-Currituck Bridge

North Carolina recently passed the 2011 budget, and included in the newly passed budget is the approval for a new Outer Banks bridge – the Mid-Currituck Bridge crossing the Currituck Sound from mainland Currituck at Aydlett to Corolla on the OBX.

The proposed bridge has been in the works for years.  It is estimated that the bridge could shave about 50 miles off the drive to the Northern Outer Banks.

The bridge is estimated to cost over 650 million dollars and open in 2014, and it could cost drivers $10 to $15 each way.