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New Oregon Inlet Bridge named for former N.C. Senator Marc Basnight

Posted at 11:26 AM, Mar 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-07 11:26:29-05

A view of the current Herbert C. Bonner Bridge (N.C. Highway 12) and the new bridge under construction.

The North Carolina Board of Transportation voted unanimously to name the new bridge over Oregon Inlet, connecting Hatteras Island with N.C. Highway 12, for former state Senator Marc Basnight.

Basnight, who represented North Carolina’s 1st District from 1984 to 2011, is a Manteo native. He served almost 14 terms in the Senate before resigning due to health issues.

The remaining section of the original bridge will still be considered the Bonner Bridge, according to Tim Haas with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

The new bridge is 2.8 miles long and the roadway rises 90 feet above the water at its highest point. Construction began in March 2016, and the road officially opened to traffic at the end of February.

A formal dedication of the bridge is planned for April 2.

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