For nearly 60 years, the humped profile of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge at Oregon Inlet has been a familiar landmark on the scenic stretches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Now, joined by the taller, more streamlined contour of an adjacent $246-million replacement structure, the ocean and barrier island ecology compete for attention with new columns and spans rising above the junction of the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound.
The new center of attention is a 2.8-mile-long, 42-ft-wide hybrid structure, crafted by the design-build team of PCL Civil Constructors and HDR Engineering. The 71 approach and transition spans, totaling 2.1 miles, consist of Florida I-beam girders rising 70 ft to connect with an 11-span, 3,550-ft-long continuous segmental box girder unit across the inlet’s center.