Sunset Beach bridge contract awarded

After 30 years of conflicts and lawsuits, the N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $31 million contract to build a new Sunset Beach bridge.

"It's a happy day for the town of Sunset Beach," Len Steiner, a town councilman, said. "We have been waiting for so long to have this happen."

The N.C. Board of Transportation was poised to award the contract in October, but a motion to delay the project was filed by opponents. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan issued a written order Wednesday rejecting the motion, and the DOT chief had the transportation board's authority to proceed with the contract award.

English Construction Co., of Lynchburg, Va., will build the bridge.

The plaintiffs in the most recent lawsuit - Sunset Beach Taxpayers Association, Douglas W. Hix, William A. Ducker, Bonnie Kelley, Nina Marable and the Brunswick Environmental Action Team - allege that the DOT's plans for a 65-foot-tall bridge connecting the mainland to the island violate the National Environmental Policy Act and the state's Environmental Protection Act.

They also argue that the DOT needs to conduct more environmental studies because of three changes in the DOT's plans involving discharge of pollutants into a canal, construction of an infiltration basin and expansion of the causeway.

Jim Maxwell, the plaintiffs' attorney, said he does not know yet whether they will proceed with the lawsuit.

He said Thursday that he will meet soon with his clients as well as Sunset Beach town officials. The lawsuit is still pending, and the judge wants to hear from all attorneys involved by Feb. 4, Maxwell said.

He said the DOT's decision to award the contract was no surprise. "They do so with the knowledge that there is a lawsuit still pending," he said.

The new high-rise bridge will replace Sunset Beach's single-lane, wooden pontoon bridge. It will stretch a half-mile long and include two 12-foot travel lanes and 5-foot shoulders for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The new bridge is a long time coming for Joe Blair, DOT division construction engineer. He has been working on this project since he started at the department more than 20 years ago.

He said construction of the project will take 2 1/2 years to complete and could start within 30 days.

Motorists will be redirected onto a detour road running parallel to Sunset Boulevard while approach work is under way south of the bridge site.

Blair said the pending lawsuit still could affect construction of the bridge.

The bridge connecting the island to the mainland has been a point of bitter contention among residents and officials. Some believe a bascule bridge, a type of drawbridge, would better fit the area's character.

Lanny Wilson, the area's representative on the N.C. Board of Transportation, said the high-rise bridge is cheaper and does not require as much maintenance or operating expenses.

Steiner said the new bridge is vital to ensuring the safety of everyone who visits and lives in Sunset Beach. The pontoon bridge is rated for 24,000 pounds, and the town's fire pumper truck weighs 30,000 pounds, he said. The ladder trucks used by neighboring departments weigh 46,000 pounds.

Sunset Beach Mayor Ron Klein said he has been with the town's volunteer fire department for 12 years and has seen some close calls.

"I'm happy that we're on the road to making some of that worry unnecessary," Klein said.

Shelby Sebens: 755-7963

shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com