TYRRELL, N.C. — The Alligator River Bridge is one of the three main bridges that visitors have to use to get onto the Outer Banks.
A brand-new, nearly $450 million bridge is being constructed right next to the current bridge. Work on this new bridge started in February of this year.
“We have made progress that I would not have anticipated six months ago," said Pablo Hernandez, resident engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
It's no secret that a massive amount of work goes into constructing a brand-new bridge. But things have been going smoothly for the brand-new Alligator River Bridge, some of that thanks to the mild weather we've had this year.
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"We have 54% of the piling installed. That represents 384 piles out of 710 total piling to support this bridge. So to have that quantity of foundation in the ground in just a little over five months is pretty impressive," said Hernandez.
The pile driving portion of the bridge is now paused because of an expected nature moratorium from July 15 to September 30. The pause is meant to make sure fish habitats are not being disturbed.
"There is anadromous fish that use the Alligator River and Albemarle Basin. Part of their use is fish habitat and for spawning purposes further upstream. With our impact pile driving, we do not want to damage the fish or have any type of mortality," said Hernandez.
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That doesn’t mean work is completely stopping until fall. Foundation planning for the bridge, spanning from the waterline up, is underway, as well as roadway work on both sides of the bridge.
“The other component of this project is about a mile's worth of roadway work, half a mile on each side of the project to tie the new bridge into the existing 64 corridor. That work is ongoing with removing unsuitable material in the wetlands, also installing wildlife crossings as part of our commitment with Wildlife Resource Commission," said Hernandez.
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There's also plenty of other work going on behind the scenes.
"Recruiting new staff, bringing in equipment, materials and other resources for those other stages of the bridge or roadway that we have not built yet," said Hernandez.
The bridge is expected to be open to the public in the fall of 2029.
“This is a marathon. This is not a sprint bridge. While it feels like a sprint many times, we're in a long-term marathon," said Hernandez.
