WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH – The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded Balfour Beatty an $8.67 million contract for the first phase of Wrightsville Beach’s three-bridge replacement program, starting utility relocation and replacement of the West Salisbury Street bridge over Lees Cut.
The completed contract award moves the first construction phase of a program that Port City Daily reports will cost $105 million across three bridges. NCDOT said the department is using an alternative-delivery method that allows project phases to be negotiated and awarded with the contractor as design and construction advance.
Phase 1 includes relocating a waterline before replacing the smaller West Salisbury Street bridge. NCDOT expects the utility work to begin in October and take four to eight weeks. Residents will see equipment on Pelican Drive and along the shoulder of West Salisbury Street, although most waterline work is expected to remain outside travel lanes.
After the waterline relocation, the bridge over Lees Cut will close fully for construction. NCDOT said it will announce the official closure date when the schedule is finalized.
Port City Daily reported that Balfour Beatty had been selected for the three-bridge program in February. The contractor’s regional work includes the Surf City Bridge and UNCW Veterans Hall.
The West Salisbury Street bridge is the first of the three scheduled replacements. Port City Daily reported that construction on the Salisbury Long Bridge is planned for summer 2027, followed by the Causeway bridge. The overall work is funded through NCDOT’s transportation improvement program.
The $8.67 million award establishes a current construction commitment inside a much larger coastal infrastructure project. The first phase combines water utility relocation, bridge construction and a future full road closure, creating immediate scheduling consequences for the town, residents and contractors beginning work.