Repairs to the moving center section of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge will mean one-way lanes will have to be closed for months at a time.Officials are worried about where that traffic, especially the trucks, will go.
The truck has to go somewhere. But here?
That’s a problem state and local officials are grappling with, as work to keep the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge safe for motorists means hundreds of trucks bound for the Port of Wilmington will find new routes through Wilmington. Traffic on the 54-year-old bridge increased by nearly 34 percent between January 2012 and February 2022, with more than 72,000 vehicles using the bridge each day.
When the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) closes the inbound lanes of the Memorial Bridge that carries traffic from Brunswick County to Wilmington, possibly as soon as early January, thousands of motorists will be forced to hit the port city’s already closed roads. There will be a detour. It’s crowded.
But city officials are especially concerned about the specter of hundreds of port-bound container trucks continuing to idle through Wilmington as South Front Street away from the Memorial Bridge becomes inaccessible. is.
A port spokesperson said an average of nearly 1,900 trucks passed through the port’s main gates each week this year. Depending on the time of day when container ships call in the city, that number could easily reach 500 per day, many of which go to distribution centers and warehouses in Brunswick and nearby counties. or to markets such as Charlotte or South Carolina. .
Bridge troubles Traffic across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge may be restricted this winter due to repair work. Here’s why:
Are there a lot of trucks on Third Avenue?
According to the DOT, the recommended detour route is for trucks to essentially avoid downtown Wilmington by driving around large plazas, crossing the Isabel Holmes Bridge just north of downtown Wilmington, and crossing the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. to access College Road and then Shipyard Boulevard. Arrived at the port. Trucks coming from points further inland could also take Interstate 40 to Interstate 40 and then College Road.
But a more convenient route, at least for truckers, would be to cross the Isabel Holmes River and turn right at North Third Street, passing through downtown and the city. historic district To get to the port.
State officials approached the city last month about allowing the use of North Third as part of a truck detour. They will shorten the route, reduce the number of signalized intersections it passes through, and limit the amount of traffic it puts into the congested South College Road corridor between Market Street and the shipyard. He pointed out that he was deaf.
But city officials have rejected the proposal, at least for now, citing concerns about health, safety and quality of life issues. Also, they may have a trump card in that the North Third section between Market and MLK Parkway is under city control, not state control, but interstate commerce regulations are under federal oversight. This could limit the actions of Wilmington city officials.
“We’ll have to see what happens,” Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said of the safety and other issues that would arise from directing port-bound traffic onto South College Road. “But I think it’s safe to say that allowing these trucks to use Third Avenue should be a last resort.”
Increase in air pollution and noise
Either way, there will be consequences if container trucks travel through Wilmington during bridge lane closures.
The biggest concern is probably the impact of the hundreds of trucks idling at traffic lights around the city.by North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), idling vehicles emit more harmful chemicals, gases, and soot into the air than moving vehicles, even at low speeds. It causes air pollution, regional fog, and worsens health problems such as asthma, allergies, and respiratory diseases.
In North Carolina, the transportation sector accounted for 36% of all greenhouse gas emissions, a major driver of climate change, in 2018.
clean coastal air Wilmington Air Gets an “A”
“The impact could be quite significant,” he said. Dr. Sarab ArunachalamDeputy Director Environmental Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when asked about the potential health effects. “Trucks contain a significant number of contaminants that are not very good for human health.”
He encouraged concerned residents to consider wearing a high-quality N95 mask, as they have been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to consider investing in new or improved air filters for their homes. There is.
Increased noise pollution in residential areas due to increased truck traffic, especially downtown, is another potential impact of bridge lane closures. noise ordinance There is an exception for noise generated by “necessary business equipment,” which is not “intended to prevent individuals from lawfully exercising their rights to freedom of speech and commerce.”
DOT and community officials, including Wilmington, New Hanover and Brunswick counties, will meet weekly starting Tuesday to address issues surrounding the impact of future bridge lane closures.
Contact reporter Gareth McGrath at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.