WRAL Documentary: Bridge in Troubled Water

The Bonner Bridge is the only physical link between Hatteras Island and the mainland. It’s a valuable lifeline that connects tourists to attractions like the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and connects island residents to the rest of the world. It helps fuel the island’s $200 million annual tourism industry.

The bridge’s emergency closure over safety concerns in December inflamed the 20-year-old debate over its replacement.

The 50-year old bridge was supposed to have been replaced in 1993. Since then various replacement options have been studied and debated. The choices have been narrowed down to two: a new bridge parallel to the old one and a 17-mile bridge in Pamlico Sound that would avoid the treacherous Oregon Inlet and by-pass Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and sections of highway 12 that are regularly washed out. The state decided to build the shorter, cheaper bridge but the project was blocked by environmental groups who support the longer, more expensive bridge that they say will provide more reliable, long-term access to Hatteras Island.

With a lawsuit stalling the bridge’s replacement tensions have flared pitting state leaders against leading environmentalists and neighbor against neighbor.

The state Department of Transportation and the Southern Environmental Law Center are litigants in a lawsuit over the future of the Bonner Bridge. DOT Secretary Tony Tata and SELC Director Derb Carter talked to WRAL about their positions, the costs of the proposals and the name-calling that has characterized the debate.

Scroll through the timeline or click the arrows above to navigate the history of the Bonner Bridge.