Lee's Cut Bridge Closure Will Block a Section of the Loop

State transportation officials will shut down the Lee’s Cut bridge on West Salisbury Street on Nov. 30, marking the first major traffic restriction in a sweeping overhaul of local infrastructure, WECT reported.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation awarded an $8.67 million contract to Balfour Beatty on Oct. 1 to handle the initial phase of the broader Wrightsville Beach bridge replacement project, according to town records. Crews have already started relocating waterlines in preparation for the demolition work.

When the closure takes effect at 5 a.m., vehicles and pedestrians will be blocked between Pelican Drive and Lookout Harbor Way. This disruption will cut off a section of the popular 2.5-mile loop, leaving walkers and runners to use the shorter loop around the town municipal area.

Aerial views from over the fishing pier at beach north carolina

Town leaders have spent two years preparing residents and businesses for the transition. “We feel like we have done a lot of work to try and help the town be prepared and get the residents and business owners prepared,” said Neal Andrew, chairman of the bridge replacement committee, told WECT.

“So we are getting to the point where preparations are getting to a close and it’s time to get underway.”

To prepare for altered traffic patterns, town officials hired an outside consultant to help shape response plans for local police and fire chiefs. Leaders gathered a five-year average of response times from different zones across the island to track potential delays once construction shuts down the crossing.

Wrightsville Beach bridge closure to change access to The Loop — WECT News 6

The town aims to position a fire and emergency medical services team directly on the main island, a move that requires funding additional staff. Town officials are evaluating staffing levels and crew positioning as they compare live response data against historical averages.

“This first closure will happen in the off season for the town. That will give the town some additional time to practice, so to speak, what we need to be improving on before we get into peak season,” Andrew told WECT. He added that maintaining baseline response times is the primary goal for local planners.

The $105 million initiative involves replacing three aging bridges in Wrightsville Beach that can no longer be maintained economically. The full slate of construction will take about four years to finish.

Once the Lee’s Cut bridge reopens by the summer of 2027, construction crews will shift focus to the Salisbury Street bridge over Banks Channel and the Causeway Drive bridge. The replacement structures will feature updated designs, including 10-to-12-foot multi-use paths and 6-foot bike lanes to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

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