TRAFFIC ALERT: Bridge closures to cause traffic headaches | Traffic

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge will close again this week for scheduled maintenance.

According to the Department of Transportation, the bridge will close Thursday, October 11 at 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. One lane in each direction will close Friday, October 12 at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. to prepare for weekend closures

The entire bridge will close again Friday, October 12 at 8 p.m. and will re-open Monday, October 15 at 5 a.m.

The bridge was also closed Wednesday, October 10 and Thursday, October 11 from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic during these times. Detours will be in place to direct traffic.

Motorists can use the following signed detour route:

Dawson Street to Oleander Drive to South College Road to MLK Parkway to U.S. 17.

The department also suggests the following alternate routes:

Motorists traveling on U.S. 421 South: Use I-140 East to I-40 East to College Road.

Motorists traveling on U.S. 421 North from Carolina Beach: Use College Road to I-40 West to I-140 West. Also, motorists traveling south or west from Carolina Beach can use the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry.

According to the DOT, the weekend closure is necessary so the contractor can finish replacing aging cables that raise and lower the bridge. There are a total of 64 cables on the bridge, 32 of which were replaced in September. The additional 32 cables will be replaced this weekend.

The DOT said the U.S. 17/U.S. 421 southbound left turn lane onto U.S. 74/N.C. 133/ Isabel Holmes Bridge will be closed on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and at other times as needed throughout the weekend. 

The N.C. Department of Transportation's Ferry Division will add four departures at the Southport-Fort Fisher route Sat., Oct. 13 and Sun., Oct. 14, to assist with traffic while the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is closed for electrical and mechanical repairs.

This weekend schedule is the same one the Southport operations runs during the summer, with 32 departures daily. The schedule will be as follows:

• Departing Southport at: 5:30 a.m., 7, 7:45, 8:30, 9:15, 10, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15 p.m., 1, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15, 4, 4:45 and 6:15 p.m.; and

• Departing Fort Fisher at: 6:15 a.m., 7:45, 8:30, 9:15, 10, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15 p.m., 1, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15, 4, 4:45, 5:30 and 7 p.m.

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