Mid-Currituck Bridge Project Faces Uncertain Future Due to Soaring Costs

NCDOT and NCTA say project is 'not currently financially feasible' without additional funding

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The long-planned Mid-Currituck Bridge project in North Carolina is facing an uncertain future after NCDOT and NCTA representatives informed the Albemarle Regional Planning Organization (ARPO) that the project's costs have continued to rise above inflation, making it 'not currently financially feasible without additional funding.' The latest estimates put the price tag at $1.2 billion, up from just over $1 billion last year, and the project failed to secure a $425 million federal infrastructure grant in 2024.

Why it matters

The Mid-Currituck Bridge has long been seen as a critical infrastructure project to alleviate summertime traffic woes in Currituck County and nearby Dare County towns like Southern Shores and Duck. However, the ballooning costs now threaten to derail the project, which could have significant economic impacts on the region if it's ultimately abandoned.

The details

NCDOT and NCTA representatives told ARPO members that 'project costs have continued to increase above inflation and any schedule delays would likely increase costs further.' The state had previously committed $173 million to the project, but officials are now suggesting pulling that funding, which would force the project to be reevaluated in the state's annual transportation improvement program - a process that historically has not favored projects in northeastern North Carolina due to low traffic counts and population density.

  • In September 2025, plans called for the Mid-Currituck Bridge project to break ground in the fall of 2026 with a planned completion in 2032.
  • In February 2026, NCDOT and NCTA representatives presented the new cost analysis to ARPO members, indicating the project is 'not currently financially feasible.'

The players

NCDOT

The North Carolina Department of Transportation, the state agency responsible for the Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

NCTA

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority, which has been working with NCDOT on the Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

ARPO

The Albemarle Regional Planning Organization, which develops regional transportation plans and priorities for 10 counties in northeastern North Carolina.

Paula Sherlock

A Southern Shores Town Council member who attended the ARPO meeting where the new cost analysis was presented.

Troy Breathwaite

A Currituck County Commissioner who spoke at the ARPO meeting about the concerns over the potential loss of the Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

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What they’re saying

“What they are suggesting is to pull back the $173 million that the state of North Carolina has committed to this project.”

— Paula Sherlock, Southern Shores Town Council member (Outer Banks Voice)

“If NCDOT is actually wanting us to push it back into the next STIP' and if that occurs, the bridge project is 'gone.”

— Troy Breathwaite, Currituck County Commissioner (Outer Banks Voice)

What’s next

An ARPO meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 a.m. in Hertford to further discuss the future of the Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

The takeaway

The ballooning costs of the Mid-Currituck Bridge project have put its future in serious jeopardy, raising concerns about the economic impacts on the region if the long-planned infrastructure project is ultimately abandoned due to lack of funding.