It has issued the ‘record of decision’ for the Mid-Currituck Bridge. The project, which has an overall estimated cost of US$440 million, includes a new 7.6km, two-lane toll bridge across the Currituck Sound and a 2.4km-long bridge across the Maple Swamp, as part of the mainland approach road.

“This is a major milestone in delivering this project, that the local communities requested,” said Chris Werner, acting executive director of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA). “The Mid-Currituck Bridge will provide much-needed transportation improvements for hurricane evacuation clearance times and connectivity to the Outer Banks.”

Need for an east-west crossing of the Currituck Sound was first identified in 1975 and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) began formal planning in 1995. NCTA became involved in the project in 2006 when local leaders considered funding the project with toll revenue.

The record of decision allows NCDOT and NCTA to move the project forward and begin acquiring land, obtaining environmental permits and advancing construction plans.