Governor Cooper highlights $110M grant to replace Alligator Bridge on NC coast

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- Gov. Roy Cooper, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt and N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Eric Boyette highlighted on Thursday federal funding to replace the Alligator River Bridge on U.S. Highway 64 in Dare and Tyrrell Counties.

Funding was announced in January for the bridge, which takes travelers to Dare County along the Outer Banks.

The governor and FHWA said the $110 million grant will be critical to the construction process.

"It's not just replacing a bridge from the 1960s. It's providing broadband. It's providing an evacuation route," said Bhatt. It's gonna increase the local economy, and so we always want to think about that triple bottom line when it comes to these projects. Whether is resiliency, safety, this is checking all of the boxes."

The project will replace the current Lindsay B. Warren Bridge, a two-lane, 2.8-mile swing span, with a two-lane high-rise bridge. The new bridge will be higher and wider than the current span, allowing boats and cars to move without any interruption.

"I applaud the USDOT for awarding this grant to Dare and Tyrrell Counties, and will ensure a safe and reliable bridge for generations to come," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, said in a release.