NCDOT: After storm delays, Torchwood Boulevard in Ogden will reopen before year’s end

OGDEN — Nearly two months after Torchwood Boulevard was originally scheduled to reopen, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for drivers who utilize the road to read subdivisions off of Market Street north of Wilmington.

The closures were initially announced in late June. Work to install drainage lines, reroute CFPUA utility lines, and construct a culvert was expected to last until August. Torchwood was closed between Needle Fish and Bow Hunter, and traffic was rerouted to Lendire Road.

While the estimated reopening date has been pushed back by several months by Hurricane Dorian and late-summer water restrictions, NCDOT officials now believe Torchwood will reopen in December. No specific date in December has been set.

“After meeting with the contractor, the tentative date to open Torchwood is in December.  Storms, like Dorian, and previous water restrictions in New Hanover County have delayed utility relocation efforts associated with the Torchwood Boulevard closure,” according to NCDOT spokesperson Lauren Haviland.

Because the closure of Torchwood has put additional traffic onto Lendire Road, residents of nearby Ogden subdivisions have expressed concerns about the road’s ability to handle increased traffic, along with issues like potholes and speed limits.

Lendire was taken over NCDOT for maintenance when it was realigned, so it falls under state jurisdiction.

” NCDOT will continue to assess the posted detour routes that are [in] conjunction with the Military Cutoff Extension project and will perform maintenance and/or improvements that are deemed necessary throughout the life of the project,” according to Haviland.