N.C. Department of Transportation officials presented three design alternatives for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement on Tuesday during the first of two public input meetings.

For years, local leaders across the Cape Fear region have pushed to replace the aging Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, built in 1969. Those bridge replacement efforts received a major boost this summer when the project secured a $242 million federal grant.

The replacement options include Alternative A, a movable span bridge with a 65-foot vertical clearance when closed and 135-foot clearance when open; Alternative B, a fixed span bridge with 135 feet of vertical clearance; and Alternative C, a fixed span bridge with a 100-foot vertical clearance, plus or minus 35 feet. 

According to preliminary estimates, Alternative A could cost $765 million, while Alternative B is expected to cost $452 million. The cost of Alternative C is yet to be determined. Each alternative would include three proposed traffic lanes in each direction and a 15-foot-wide multiuse path.

Tuesday’s meeting is part of a formal comment period that will help determine the design used in the bridge replacement, said Trace Howell, a senior project manager with the Department of Transportation.

“It’s all pieces of information that will be helpful in determining what the public is saying regarding three options that we have,” Howell said.

The public comment period ends on Oct. 25. Comments received before then will be included in a public comment summary and environmental documentation for the bridge replacement, Howell said.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Howell said he fielded questions about the bridge design and how a replacement would look. He stressed that renderings showcased during the public input meetings don’t represent precisely how a final bridge would look but aim to show each alternative’s proposed elevation and width.

He also heard concerns Tuesday about the impact the replacement bridge would have on properties near the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and traffic in the area. The Historic Wilmington Foundation and other downtown residents have opposed the 135-foot-tall bridge alternative in recent months because of its extended reach into downtown neighborhoods. 

Moving forward, the Department of Transportation will select a final design using several factors, including environmental and property impacts and public input, Howell said.

“This is just part of the process to get that public feedback, and we’ll also communicate with different environmental agencies to go through all of the different variables,” he said, “to determine the least environmentally damaging, practical alternative.”

Attendee Katelyn Freund, a downtown resident, said she favors a shorter bridge because of the impacts the fixed, 135-foot option could have on historic neighborhoods in the downtown area. 

“I love this downtown area,” she said, “and the idea of this changing in such a dramatic way that is not wanted by this community really breaks my heart.” 

Freund also said she was frustrated with the format of Tuesday’s meeting. The open house-style format allowed attendees to ask Department of Transportation representatives questions while looking at various maps and renderings throughout the meeting room. Freund said it was difficult for residents to identify and engage with the representatives and called the meeting a “wasted opportunity.”

Natalie English, president and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement Wednesday that the chamber supports a span with 135-foot clearance.

“While Alternate A suggests a moveable span from 65’ to 135’, the costs are significant, making the fixed 135’ clearance in Alternate B the better option,” English wrote. “Reducing the clearance would limit the potential of properties north of the bridge and could slow future economic growth.”

The Department of Transportation aims to choose a design alternative in spring 2025, according to Howell. Next summer, the project’s environmental document will be issued, and another public hearing is expected to take place.

A second public input meeting will be hosted by the Department of Transportation on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at North Brunswick High School at 114 Scorpion Drive NE in Leland.