2 questions for board members... I have been following both stories and have seen little in the press lately. Has anyone heard anything new with regards to the mid currituck bridge? Or anymore info about the land use lawsuit in the 4x4 area?

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All I know is that it is long over due.

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I hope the mid county bridge dies a slow death. A good many of the permits needed for it's construction have already expired.

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The allocated money is not there. What did they do with it? Latest study showed the bottom is not vegetative after all and dredging for a ferry would not "disturb" the supposed breeding ground for sea creatures/fish etc. With so many bridges in a state of failure/neglect I say fix or replace what is needed. JMO

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I hope the mid county bridge dies a slow death. A good many of the permits needed for it's construction have already expired.

Speaking as a long time visitor to Duck/Corolla area I agree 100% with you Rick.

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I always wondered why a 440 million dollar (low end estimate) was proposed at the height of financial issues in the state.

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An expensive bridge is not the answer for 10 Saturdays a year. The people that live in SS should not have to tolerate people speeding in a residential area or looking at traffic more like a highway than a quite neighborhood. Having said that something needs to improve the traffic. I do not deal with it anymore as I only come in the off season, but talking to a few people that live in SS and work in Corolla they all have mentioned that not only do you have to slow down in Duck (understandable) but the people crossing 12 makes a bad situation worse. They have had to stop 5-7 times to allow people cross the road.

Maybe a people bridge, Limit the number of spots that people can cross, or just prohibit foot traffic crossing the road for a few hours once a week. I do not know if that is the answer, but there has to be some kind of relief that can be done for less than half a billion. Maybe spend a few dollars to see what reasonable options can be done to improve the traffic.

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I never would mean any disrespect to my Duck friends, Steve R and Jimmy Z and any other owners but I seriously doubt the traffic would be of any less impact into the town of Duck with the addition of the bridge. Traffic loads would use the bridge and go south areas as much as points north. Question..Did the town of Duck forget to put in any public beach accesses? Anyone here know of one?

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I never would mean any disrespect to my Duck friends, Steve R and Jimmy Z and any other owners but I seriously doubt the traffic would be of any less impact into the town of Duck with the addition of the bridge. Traffic loads would use the bridge and go south areas as much as points north. Question..Did the town of Duck forget to put in any public beach accesses? Anyone here know of one?

I count 5 public beach accesses on a Realty website. But having lived up there one summer it isn't so much the "access" but lack of any formal parking areas. At the end of my old street was an access at Caffeys Inlet Hamlet. Most people walk there since it is quite narrow b/c of the old inlet. But you could park or leave bikes there by the path to the crossover walkway. Like a couple of vehicles maybe.

Sooooooo basically no need for the Currituck Toll Bridge now? Is there a traffic officer on Saturday & Sunday directing the flow through the SS intersection over by Rundown? It seems like they were doing that at the beginning of the season. I never did think that 10 weeks out of the year justified a billion dollar toll bridge & am quite frankly tired of hearing about ferries that don't have sufficient draught to cross. Look at the ferry route down south...

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But having lived up there one summer it isn't so much the "access" but lack of any formal parking areas.

You realize why they don't have an "Formal Parking Areas"?

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I never would mean any disrespect to my Duck friends, Steve R and Jimmy Z and any other owners but I seriously doubt the traffic would be of any less impact into the town of Duck with the addition of the bridge. Traffic loads would use the bridge and go south areas as much as points north. Question..Did the town of Duck forget to put in any public beach accesses? Anyone here know of one?

The thing that drives me crazy is the complete lack of sidewalks in Duck, I am amazed people aren't run over on a regular basis. I was very happy to see the combination walk / bike paths get built in Corolla, without more deaths.

As for the bridge, who knows what's best in the long run, but I am selfishly happy that there will not be fuel added to the fire of development any time soon.
All I know is that I will never arrive or leave on a weekend ever again.

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But having lived up there one summer it isn't so much the "access" but lack of any formal parking areas.

You realize why they don't have an "Formal Parking Areas"?

Si, but b/c the Outer Banks beaches are so many & varied it has never presented a problem for me in the last 35 years. I have no use for living OFront, we gravitate to the sound side, so we either walk, bike or drive to the beach anyway & I do enjoy the many different beaches available. SS & Duck can have their semi private beach accesses. Besides, I know where to park...

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I agree that a bridge that reduces traffic a dozen Saturdays a year doesn't make much sense.

Seems like offering incentives for Friday or Sunday turns would alleviate much of the traffic.

Perhaps a shallow draft HOV ferry that runs seasonally on weekends. Doesn't NCDOT keep an operational emergency ferries?

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I'm also one of the "no bridge" people. Having said that I also think there should be some pedestrian bridges in Duck to help folks cross the highway and allow traffic to continue uninterrupted. The road is close to the sound so there is not much that could be done to make the road any wider. The town of Duck has done a lot, like buying the land and building the walks along the sound. I'm sure they have already considered doing a crossover but cost its probably causing some reluctance. Those living there are the ones who will have to get the process started. We visitors can only suggest.

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I agree that a bridge that reduces traffic a dozen Saturdays a year doesn't make much sense.

Seems like offering incentives for Friday or Sunday turns would alleviate much of the traffic.

Perhaps a shallow draft HOV ferry that runs seasonally on weekends. Doesn't NCDOT keep an operational emergency ferries?

MMMMMMMM.............
Didn't the great state of NC already buy a couple of ferry boats they never used?

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IIRC there was a ferry built especially for school kids to commute on which is the one that doesn't have ample draught. When the sound is blown out all bets are off, which does happen to coincide with regular school sessions.

An old co worker of mine lives in KDH & is using the school up in Corolla for their under 5 year olds. I am not sure why. My child thrived at St Andrews PreSchool in NH, but whatever. Will have to research what happened to that ferry after it sat at dock for ages...

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I used to think pedestrian bridges were the solution, but apparently people just don't use them. Plus they are not wheelchair friendly, or good for people with bad knees, or even bike riders.

My completely ridiculous solution is that there should be walk/don't walk signs at all the cross walks in Duck that are only activated on Saturdays. Let the cars move, then give the pedestrians their turn, rinse and repeat.

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Hadn't considered wheel chair issue but I do know that at Inner Harbor in Baltimore the walk overs are heavily used. It is much quicker and safer than trying to cross with lights. There is no perfect solution but surely someone could come up with something better than just risking your life along Rt. 12. and having the traffic situation that currently exists. Duck can't be the only town that has this issue.

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Do houses still get moved up & down 12? I think so. Probably no room for cross walks over passing up there or anywhere on the Outer Banks.

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The cross over do not have to be permanent. They can be put in place for the season or even the day. Give me $100m and I bet I will figure out a way to do this.

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The cross over do not have to be permanent. They can be put in place for the season or even the day. Give me $100m and I bet I will figure out a way to do this.

Steel truss bridges can be lifted off their abutments by removing 4 bolts and lifting them with a crane. Switch back ramps allow handicap access. PCL can put them in for < $100 mil, without even cutting a single power line!

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