WILMINGTON — With only days left in 2017, Port City Daily is taking a look back at several projects and accomplishments from the past year. From the opening of the I-140 Wilmington Bypass to exponential growth in Leland, the region has experienced new growth and accomplishments.
I-140 Wilmington Bypass
The Wilmington Bypass was completed in December after almost 20 years in the making. The final stretch of the project is now open for traffic, completing the roughly 20-mile long I-140 roadway. The bypass allows for traffic from Brunswick County as well as the north side of New Hanover County to avoid having to drive through downtown Wilmington.
The project began in 2000 and cost $411 million, the Final 8-mile stretch of I-140 cost $204 million. The Wilmington Bypass consists of a four-lane divided roadway with 19 bridges. While the project was supposed to be complete in November, delays caused the opening to be pushed to Dec. 20.
Water Street Parking Deck
The Water Street Parking Deck demolition and redevelopment has seen several delays, as well as cost increases to the project. The parking deck was officially closed at the end of 2016, and demolition was scheduled for March, it did not happen until mid-November.
The Water Street Project also saw a price increase of $7.6 million in just one year – a sum the City of Wilmington approved over the summer, before any work on the demolition of the old structure began.
When complete, the project will be known as River Place and will consist of a 12-story building containing condominiums, apartments, office space, and retail. The project is expected to be complete by late 2019.
Pine Valley Library
The Pine Valley Library broke ground in November and is expected to cost $6.2 million. At the beginning of November, County Commissioners voted to award a $5.5 million contract to Bordeaux Construction Company for the project.
The Pine Valley Library will replace the Myrtle Grove Library which is located about two miles south of the new project.
Pine Valley Library is expected to open in January of 2019 and will consist of nearly 20,000-square-feet. The library will have several distinct areas for residents including separate adult and children’s areas. The library will be nearly 3.500 square-feet larger than the original plans called for.
Growth in Leland
The Town of Leland has seen significant growth in the past year, from the annexation of Lanvale Forest subdivision to the completion of new stores like Aldi, Leland continues to increase its appeal and attract new residents.
Aldi did have a delay in opening because of an incomplete road, and opening was delayed from October until December.
Panera Bread and Chick-fil-a have announced intentions to open stores in Leland, and Brunswick County continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state.
Lake Dredging in Carolina Beach
The dredging of Carolina Beach Lake was officially halted in December after months of delay. The project first saw concerns in August when officials with Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point (MOTUS) noticed the town was not putting its dredging spoils where it had originally agreed. In September, the town stopped work on the project temporarily, but it would never resume.
Concerns of arsenic in the soil from the lake caused even more delay in the project, and ultimately led to the termination of the contract with Civil Works Contracting.
Michael Praats can be reached at [email protected]
