NCDOT bridge project will close a busy Brunswick road for several months

Renee Spencer, Wilmington StarNews
A section of N.C. 133 near Funston Road sits under water during Tropical Storm Debby on August 7, 2024. According to NCDOT representatives, this section of roadway sees two to three feet of water during major storm events. It is scheduled for improvements this fall.
A section of N.C. 133 near Funston Road sits under water during Tropical Storm Debby on August 7, 2024. According to NCDOT representatives, this section of roadway sees two to three feet of water during major storm events. It is scheduled for improvements this fall.

A Brunswick County roadway prone to flooding will soon get some upgrades.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will begin work on a section of N.C. 133 near Funston Road this fall.

Dan Cumbo, assistant division construction engineer for NCDOT division three, delivered a presentation on the project to the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners at its regular meeting on August 19.

Here are five things to know about the project.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work on a section of N.C. 133 between Belville and Southport this fall. The work will include replacing existing culverts with a bridge to alleviate flooding near Funston Road.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin work on a section of N.C. 133 between Belville and Southport this fall. The work will include replacing existing culverts with a bridge to alleviate flooding near Funston Road.

The project will go across Sand Hill Creek.

Sand Hill Creek is located between Belville and Southport. Work will occur both north and south of Funston Road. Crews will replace the existing culverts that carry Sand Hill Creek under N.C. 133. Work north of Funston Road will include replacing two 36-inch pipes and one 48-inch pipe with a bridge. South of Funston Road, crews will replace one 60-inch pipe with a larger 84-inch corrugated aluminum pipe.

A section of N.C. 133 near Funston Road sits under water during Tropical Storm Debby on August 7, 2024. According to NCDOT representatives, this section of roadway sees two to three feet of water during major storm events. It is scheduled for improvements this fall.
A section of N.C. 133 near Funston Road sits under water during Tropical Storm Debby on August 7, 2024. According to NCDOT representatives, this section of roadway sees two to three feet of water during major storm events. It is scheduled for improvements this fall.

This area of N.C. 133 is prone to flooding.

Cumbo told commissioners storm events flood this area with water in depths of two to three feet. The new bridge will be about five feet higher than the existing road to help alleviate this issue. It will also include a 33.5-foot clear roadway deck with 12-foot lanes and paved shoulders.

Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will have to close a portion of N.C. 133 and Funston Road at the N.C. 133 intersection. Motorists who need to travel this route will need to take the detour along N.C. 87 to U.S. 17.
Crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will have to close a portion of N.C. 133 and Funston Road at the N.C. 133 intersection. Motorists who need to travel this route will need to take the detour along N.C. 87 to U.S. 17.

The work will close sections of Funston Road and NC 133.

The NCDOT will close a ½ mile section of N.C. 133, and Funston Road will be closed at the intersection of N.C. 133. Motorists should plan to take the detour along N.C. 87 to U.S. 17.

Work is slated to begin Oct. 28.

The expected completion date for the project is Aug. 1, 2025.

“Due to N.C. 133 being a hurricane evacuation route and a nuclear evacuation route, the project contract was approved to include incentives and disincentives to expedite construction,” Cumbo told Brunswick commissioners.

The incentive payment is $5,000 a day with a maximum of $375,000. To meet the maximum payment, the project would have to be completed on or before May 18, 2025. The disincentive will be a $5,000 a day deduction beyond the completion date of Aug. 1, 2025.

Commissioners were concerned about the impact of the closure.

Commissioner Frank Williams suggested getting all the stakeholders -- including representatives from Brunswick County Schools, the local towns, local industries including Duke Energy and Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point -- together for a meeting to discuss the impacts of the closure. County staff is working to coordinate that stakeholder discussion before the work begins.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NCDOT to construct new bridge in Brunswick County on NC 133

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