Today is the final day to submit public comments on the proposed design alternatives for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.

Comments received during the formal comment period will help determine the bridge replacement design, according to N.C. Department of Transportation officials. The input will also be included in a public comment summary and environmental documentation for the bridge replacement.

At public meetings earlier this month, the Department of Transportation outlined three replacement options for the aging Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, built in 1969.

The 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.

Various downtown stakeholders have voiced their support in recent months for different replacement alternatives.

The Historic Wilmington Foundation and other downtown residents, for example, have opposed the 135-foot-tall bridge alternative in recent months because of its extended reach into downtown neighborhoods. 

Meanwhile, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce has supported the tallest 135-foot option.

“Reducing the clearance would limit the potential of properties north of the bridge and could slow future economic growth,” Wilmington Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Natalie English, said earlier this month.

The Department of Transportation aims to select a design alternative in spring 2025, according to officials. Next summer, the project’s environmental document will be issued, and more public hearings are expected to take place.

Public comments or questions can be submitted through the Department of Transportation’s online portal, by sending an email to [email protected] or calling (984) 205-6615 and entering code 10626.