Dare County

Outer Banks Task Force

US Fish and Wildlife/Bonner Bridge

Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

An Islanders Perspective

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September 17, 2007 - The Dare County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the North Carolina Attorney General regarding the request by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Audubon North Carolina to have the bridge replacement decision process reviewed by the CEQ. (Click here to view )

August 28, 2007 - The Southern Environmental Law Center and  Audubon North Carolina have requested the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to investigate the process that was used by NCDOT to reach concurrence on the Phased Approach/Short Bridge Alternative. (Click here to view )

Take a look at the photos included in the Structural Condition Assessment of the Bonner Bridge dated December 2006, a study commissioned by NCDOT.  The photos (on pages 3-4 of the report) speak for themselves. (Click here for more)

•The replacement options for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge have been under study for over 16 years with no clear resolution in sight.

•Since 2002, NCDOT bridge inspections have rated the bridge a 2 out of 100 (100 being the best score). Over 6 million vehicles have passed over the bridge since the  2002 inspection.

•Daily traffic over the bridge can be as high as 10,000 vehicles per day in the summertime. The emergency ferry plan is inadequate to serve those needs. 87% of the current summer traffic could not be accommodated, weather depending.

•93% of the Cape Hatteras National seashore and 100% of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge would be inaccessible to the citizens of the United States if the Bonner Bridge was lost.

photos courtesy of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge must be replaced, and it must be replaced soon. If it isn't, highway access to Hatteras Island could be interrupted with drastic consequences for residents, businesses, non-resident property owners, and visitors.

Your voice needs to be heard. Let your representatives in Washington , D.C. , know that we need their help in ensuring the future prosperity of Hatteras Island and Dare County . The issues are complicated, but there is one simple fact -- a replacement bridge is needed. You have the power to make it happen by contacting those who represent you.