RALEIGH, N.C. — The N.C. Department of Transportation is looking for a contractor to replace a temporary bridge on N.c. Highway 12 with a permanent bridge.

Motorists currently using the lone link between the Outer Banks and the mainland are traveling over a metal bridge that spans the spot where Hurricane Irene sliced through the road on Pea Island.

NCDOT advertised the contract for construction on Wednesday after the Federal Highway Administration signed the final environmental document for the project. That action allows the project to move to the construction phase.

The 244-page document details the need to elevate N.C. 12 onto a permanent bridge from just north of the temporary bridge.

The department will award the contract for the work in early December with completion scheduled for late 2017.