06/01/2026
Please note that there is a petition for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
To recap our Cape Fear Memorial Bridge meeting in April, NCDOT is racing to complete its plans for a higher-capacity bridge. Two options are under consideration: Alternative A: 65-135’ lift bridge (similar to current bridge) and Alternative B 135’ vertical clearance fixed bridge.
What you need to know:
NCDOT’s urgency is due to a $242 million federal grant set to expire in 2027.
NCDOT’s available funding is $85 million.
A $1.1-1.3 billion unsolicited bid from Delivering Bridges, LLC is on the table. This proposal leaves a gap of $900 million to be funded through tolls.
As part of the process, NCDOT will solicit additional bids.
HWF and ROW are advocating for no tolls and Alternative A lift bridge (no change in bridge footprint). https://c.org/6LVxzHppTM
We need you to join us in speaking out against tolls and for a bridge that does the least damage to our community and to the wetlands.
Here are our concerns about the 135ft vertical clearance:
The bridge will exit at Front St and at 5th Ave., changing traffic patterns forever
Destruction of 11 acres of wetlands in Brunswick County
Noise pollution with trucks descending a steep grade
Bridge height will tower over Front, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Streets
Alters evacuation routes on Dawson
Impact on our Downtown Businesses:
Construction would take at least five years, disrupting traffic from South Front through 5th Avenue — a serious blow to already-struggling downtown businesses.
Once complete, the bridge would carry a toll (projected at $2.75 per crossing), a burden falling hardest on Brunswick County commuters and a deterrent for downtown employees already facing parking costs.
ROW and the Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF) are united in opposition. We are advocating for Alternative A — a 65' vertical clearance lift bridge (135' when lifted) that maintains the current bridge footprint, preserves Historic Downtown, and protects 11 acres of Brunswick County wetlands. Our position: no change to the right-of-way, no tolls, no wetlands destruction.
We're asking members to take two actions:
Sign and share the petition. Click the link below to sign the petition online and please share the link with anyone in affected areas — including residents from Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Belville, Navassa, Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington, and Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover Counties: https://c.org/6LVxzHppTM
Attend the NCDOT public hearing slated for August or September. Support Alternative A: 65' vertical clearance lift bridge (135 when lifted)— and wherever free-form comments are allowed, write NO TOLLS.
ROW and HWF have been speaking to a number of organizations about the bridge. To arrange a ROW or HWF speaker for your club or place of worship, contact Jane Patterson at president@rowwilmington. If you have signed a physical petition regarding the bridge, email Jane for drop-off instructions at [email protected].
Replacement Cape Fear Memorial Bridge: A Citizen's Petition
