Biden-Harris Administration Invests $242 Million for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Project In Wilmington, North Carolina

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt announced $242 million in funding for the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement Project in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The project will bring much needed operational and capacity improvements to meet existing and growing transportation demands, ensure efficient traffic flow on a key corridor in the state, and improve a critical evacuation route for the area’s residents when hurricanes and other natural disasters hit.

The project will connect bicyclists and pedestrians in New Hanover and Brunswick counties. The grant is part of an announcement of more than $5 billion in Large Bridge Project awards through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

The grants will fund the reconstruction, repair, and restoration – using American-made materials – of 13 nationally significant bridges in 16 states that connect communities to jobs and resources, support the economy, and serve as critical corridors for freight travel. These projects will also address important safety issues and make the bridges more resilient to extreme weather, all while creating good-paying jobs.

“For too long America let bridges fall into disrepair, which left people less safe, disrupted our supply chains, and cost people time and money – but now the Biden-Harris Administration is changing that with the biggest investment in our bridges since the Eisenhower era,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “There are currently about 3,000 fewer bridges in poor condition than when our administration began, and today we are proud to announce funding to repair or replace 13 of America’s largest and economically significant bridges.”

“Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Bridge Investment Program, we are reinvesting in our infrastructure and ensuring vital connections for Americans who need to get to a job, a class, or a doctor,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “This grant in North Carolina is helping to advance a critical bridge project that will improve safety, the overall quality of life and ensure this country’s infrastructure works for everyone.”

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will receive $242 million for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement Project in Wilmington, North Carolina, to replace a 54-year-old structure that carries US 17/US 76/US 421 across the Cape Fear River between New Hanover and Brunswick Counties – the fastest-growing counties in the state.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Infrastructure Law continues to bring tangible benefits that help our state move forward,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “This project is critical to Wilmington and all of southeastern North Carolina getting people and goods to and from work, school, healthcare, businesses and tourist attractions.”

“This grant signifies our federal partners understand the challenges we face with continual and increasing maintenance costs of this aging structure that connects communities and carries trucks that transport freight to and from the Port of Wilmington and the need to respond to the tremendous growth this region is experiencing,” said North Carolina Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins.

The Large Bridge Project Grants under the Bridge Investment Program are available for bridges with total eligible project costs over $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $50 million and a maximum award of 50 percent of the total eligible project costs. Priority consideration is given to projects ready to proceed to construction. The program also funds projects that require pre-construction work and benefit from a multi-year grant agreement.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Bridge Investment Program, and invests $40 billion over five years to ensure the nation’s bridges remain safe and operational, meet current and future traveler needs, support local economies, strengthen supply chains to keep costs down for consumers, and create good-paying jobs across the country. More than 10,200 bridges are being rebuilt, repaired, or modernized thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Bridge Investment Program invested $2.4 billion in the planning and construction of 37 bridges in 29 states across the country.

Additional information on FHWA’s Bridge Investment Program, including Large Bridge Project Grants and Bridge Planning Grants, can be found HERE.