North Carolina is making moves on a project it’s had in the works for decades: a new bridge that would make it easier for Virginians to access the Outer Banks.
If you’ve ever driven to the popular east coast shoreline on a summer day, you know just how bad traffic can get. There’s only one two-lane bridge that accesses the long stretch of coast. The state has had plans to ease that congestion by building a second bridge.
“It would basically go from a town called Aydlett into an area just south of Corolla on the Outer Banks,” explains Tim Hass, with North Carolina’s Department of Transportation.
The plan was put on hold in 2013 because the state wasn’t positive it had the money. Now, it’s back on the drawing board and the Department of Transportation is making moves to buy the land it needs, before someone else does.
“And we would rather buy it now at a lower price with no houses, than buy it at a higher price and then have to move people out of their houses,” Hass says. “This is sort of a win win for everyone because there won’t be any people to relocate in this area.”
Beachgoers don’t get too excited. A completion date is still years away.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.