Dare County, N.C. (WTKR) - Construction work on the new Pea Island Bridge on NC-12 in Dare County has been temporarily suspended by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Construction started earlier this year on a permanent bridge to replace a temporary span along NC-12 in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge.
The temporary span has been in place since Hurricane Irene breached NC-12 in August 2011.
NCDOT says the decision to suspend work on the Pea Island bridge project was made jointly with the Federal Highway Administration to allow for review of a U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal ruling last month regarding the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.
In the August 6th ruling, the court asked District Court Judge Louise Flanagan to review her decision that FWHA’s Section 4(f) evaluation was completed properly.
That is a federal law that deals with the evaluation of transportation projects in a wildlife refuge.
The Pea Island bridge and a planned bridge in Rodanthe are considered Phase II of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.
Even though construction on the Pea Island bridge has been suspended, NCDOT says traffic on NC-12 will continue to use the current detour when traveling through the project site.
Learn more about the NC-12 projects here.
Related:
Court ruling puts Bonner Bridge replacement project on hold again
