The town of Wrightsville Beach is pursuing improvements at a high-traffic intersection while the replacement of three nearby bridges looms.
The intersection at Causeway Drive, N Lumina Avenue and Waynick Boulevard is slated to be overhauled this year, town officials said at a Board of Alderman meeting on July 17. The corner, which is home to a handful of popular local businesses including Tower 7 and The Original Ice Cream Stand, is one of two main gateways to the town’s coastline.
The stretch of Causeway Drive sees an average of 15,000 vehicles per day, according to data from the N.C. Department of Transportation. To accommodate the growing beach traffic, the town expects to invest approximately half a million dollars in improvements at the corner.
What's changing?
Town Manager Haynes Brigman said that the town discussed “numerous potential solutions” to improve the intersection with NCDOT, with all data ultimately pointing to the chosen design.
Improvements will include:
- Installing dual left turn lanes off of Waynick onto Causeway
- Relocating the Causeway crosswalk to other side of intersection
- Re-establishing the left and through movement that previously existed in the left travel lane on N Lumina when traveling northbound onto Causeway
- Relocating the crosswalk that runs from Tower 7 to The Original Ice Cream Stand
The town will contract engineering work to Gannett Fleming TranSystems, the same firm that is working on the bridge replacement project.
The Board of Alderman unanimously approved a resolution to amend the 2027 budget to include $90,000 for the work. The figure reflects only the design and does not include construction costs. Brigman said that the town will have a better understanding of the total cost once design is completed but it is estimated that it will be roughly $500,000.
What about the bridge replacement?
Brigman said that the town is aiming to have the work done before the replacement of the bridge on Causeway Drive over Banks Channel and two bridges on W Salisbury Street over Lees Cut and Banks Channel.
The intersection improvements could start as early as this fall. Construction on the W Salisbury Street bridge over Lees Cut, the farthest from the intersection, is scheduled to begin in the fall. Utility relocation and construction will begin on the other two bridges will follow and are expected to occur concurrently.
The $105 million bridge replacement is anticipated to be completed by late 2032. Brigman said that the intersection work is outside of the scope of the bridge project, meaning that the town will fund the entirety of the intersection cost. However, the town will pursue grant funding and could be reimbursed by NCDOT upon further review.
Daniel Sheehan covers New Hanover County for the StarNews. Reach him at dsheehan@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wrightsville Beach plans intersection work as bridge replacement nears
