North Carolina § 136-89 - 183B. Accelerated Herbert C. Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.

§ 136-89. 183B. Accelerated Herbert C. Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.

Contract for Accelerated Construction of the Herbert C. Bonner Replacement Bridge Project. - The Department of Transportation shall implement all reasonable measures to expedite completion of environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Within 90 days of receiving an approved Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration, the Department shall contract with a single private firm to design and build a replacement bridge for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet, in accordance with G.S. 136-28.11, in order to expedite and accelerate the efficient, cost effective completion of the project. Replacement Bridge; Termini. - The General Assembly recommends that the replacement bridge constructed pursuant to this section shall be located with north and south termini located in general proximity to the termini of the existing Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. It is recognized, however, that the preferred alternative for the bridge location cannot be determined prior to compliance with all federal and State laws and regulations. Department to Report on Project. - The Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on December 1, 2005, and each December 1 thereafter until completion, on the progress of the accelerated bridge project described in this section. History (2005-275, s. 6(b); 2005-382, s. 3.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2005-275, s. 6(a), effective August 12, 2005, provides: "The General Assembly finds that: "(1) The existing Herbert C. Bonner Bridge spanning Oregon Inlet, an essential link in the State's transportation network, is in imminent danger of failure and possible collapse due to its low stability rating and substandard condition. "(2) The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which was opened to traffic in 1963, has extended beyond its original projected life span, and that Department of Transportation engineering reports indicated in 1993 that the bridge had only six years of safe usage left. "(3) The condition of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge poses significant imminent threats to public health and safety to thousands of residents and visitors at all times, and jeopardizes emergency management operations and evacuations during times of natural disasters. "(4) The condition of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge also threatens the economic stability of the tourist economy of the region, tourism being the region's main industry, and also threatens the viability of Oregon Inlet as the region's main transportation corridor for commercial and recreational fishing industries. "(5) The replacement of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge has been studied for over a decade, during which time the condition of the bridge has continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate. "(6) Failure or collapse of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge will result in catastrophic harm to public health, safety, and welfare, the potential harm to and loss of lives, and loss of access to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is one of our country's most important natural wildlife and wildfowl habitats. "(7) Replacement of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge is critical to protect public health, safety, and welfare, and maintain necessary transportation access for emergency management and economic purposes. "(8) Replacement of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge must occur as soon as is practicable, and authorization must be given to the Department of Transportation to pursue expedited permitting, design, and construction to ensure that the replacement bridge is open to the public before the existing bridge fails or collapses." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2005-275, s. 7, made this section effective August 12, 2005.