US 64 bridge closure will mean another detour for beach-bound traffic

Anyone headed to the northern Outer Banks will face a lengthy detour for this week, when the state Department of Transportation closes the U.S. 64 bridge over the Alligator River for repairs.

The bridge will be closed from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, through 11:59 p.m. on March 20. The bridge was previously closed for a week in January.

The Lindsay C. Warren Bridge stretches nearly 3 miles across the Alligator River between Tyrrell and Dare counties. The two-lane bridge, with a swing-span near the middle to allow boats to pass through, was completed in 1962 and is considered out of date.

The $16.7 million repair project includes a new epoxy surface on the deck, joint replacements and repairs to the concrete structure. The bridge is closing this winter so contractors can work on the mechanical and electrical systems on the swing-span.

The detour will take beach-bound traffic from the Triangle onto U.S. 17 at Williamston north to Elizabeth City, then on to U.S. 158 and across the Wright Memorial Bridge to Kitty Hawk. The detour adds about 34 miles to a trip to the entrance to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 2:59 PM with the headline "US 64 bridge closure will mean another detour for beach-bound traffic."