Proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge receives two required state permits
- Staff Reports
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The proposed, tolled Mid-Currituck Bridge would span the Currituck Sound in the area shown in red on this map. (Screenshot of section of North Carolina Department of Transportation map)
By staff reports
AYDLETT — State agencies have issued two permits for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.
Much discussed, debated and the subject of litigation for years, the proposed two-lane, 6.7-mile toll road and bridge over Maple Swamp and the Currituck Sound would connect the Currituck County mainland at U.S. Highway 158 near Aydlett and the Currituck Outer Banks near Corolla, according to North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) information.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management issued a Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA)/Dredge and Fill Law permit and, separately, the Division of Water Resources issued a Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification for the Mid-Currituck Bridge, a NCDEQ press release announced on Friday morning.
“The decisions follow a comprehensive, multi-agency review process, including two public hearings held by the Division of Coastal Management on March 18 and April 16, and a public hearing held by the Division of Water Resources on Feb. 27,” the release said.
The NCDOT/North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) applied on Sept. 18, 2024, for a CAMA/Dredge and Fill Law permit, with additional information submitted afterward, according to the release.
The Division of Coastal Management accepted the application as complete on Jan. 7, 2025, the release said. The project file, including the application, is available here.
“The Division of Coastal Management makes permit decisions after considering agency and public comments, and after determining whether a proposed project meets the CAMA, the state Dredge and Fill Law, the Coastal Resources Commission’s (CRC) rules and the local government’s land-use plans,” the release said.
CAMA Major/Dredge and Fill Law permits are required for activities that require other state or federal permits; for projects that cover more than 20 acres; or for construction covering more than 60,000 square feet, and the Division of Coastal Management determined that the project meets the requirements of the N.C. Coastal Management Program, according to the release.
The NCDOT/NCTA also applied to the Division of Water Resources (DWR) for a Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification, which determines whether the project complies with state water quality standards, the release said.
“In assessing the proposal’s compliance, DWR evaluates if the activity has avoided and minimized impacts to surface waters and wetlands to ensure the remaining waters will continue to support existing uses; if it would cause or contribute to water quality standard violations; and if the applicant provides for the replacement of existing uses through mitigation,” the release said.
After reviewing comments, applicable rules and following discussions with staff, DWR issued a 401 water quality certification to the applicants with conditions.
The project applicants secured an agreement with the Division of Mitigation Services to provide “mitigation, which is the creation, restoration or enhancement of wetlands elsewhere to offset unavoidable impacts to wetlands,” the release said.
DWR also held interagency meetings to address concerns raised regarding the project’s impacts of shading on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), which is also often called sea grass.
“In response, a revised plan to mitigate impacts to SAV was submitted,” the release said.
“The applicants are required to mitigate unavoidable impacts to SAV according to the approved plan, which involves monitoring for the effects of shading on SAV, and replacement or restoration of impacted SAV as close to the area as possible,” the release continued.
Another condition of the certification is that the applicant must submit an update to the project stormwater management plan prior to construction, according to the release.
DWR’s responses to comments can be found in the hearing officer’s report. The project file, including the application, is also online.
Because of delays from litigation and rising material and construction costs, initial project estimates as of May 2024 were around $1 billion for the proposed bridge project, according to NCDOT’s published project highlights.
The Federal Highway Administration issued its Record of Decision, indicating federal approval for the project, in 2019, a March 8, 2025, NCDOT press release announced.
Project history in that document indicates planning for the proposed bridge dates to 1995.
Below is the full NCDOT map of the proposed project.
--------
Editor’s Note: Did you appreciate Outer Banks Insider’s ad-free local news? It takes significant time and effort to bring you this service of trustworthy local reporting. Subscribe today at this link to access all our in-depth, exclusive work, and to sustain independent local news in the area you love.