Bridge opening on North Carolina coast delayed over markings

RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — The opening of a bridge on the North Carolina coast that would allow locals and tourists to avoid a constantly washed-out route has been delayed because of a problem with pavement markings, state officials said.

Pavement markings installed earlier this week on the Rodanthe ‘Jug Handle’ Bridge in Dare County do not meet N.C. Department of Transportation specifications for quality or reflectivity, the agency said in a news release.

Flatiron, the prime contractor, said it would seek a new subcontractor to replace the substandard markings and restripe the bridge and the intersections. Once a new subcontractor is in place, a better timeline on a traffic shift to the new bridge can be established.

Pavement markings are the last step in completion of the 2.4-mile (3.8-kilometer) bridge. The $154 million bridge will take N.C. Highway 12 over Pamlico Sound, bypassing the south end of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and part of the road that’s often washed over by the Atlantic Ocean during storms. Construction on the project started in 2018.