The Dive: A Bridge Too Far

The N.C. Department of Transportation confirmed on Wednesday that the $242 million federal grant to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is “paused,” along with all federal transportation grants, as part of a 30-day review that federal agency heads and Elon Musk’s DOGE are undertaking.

In the meantime, debate over the bridge replacement options has raged. NCDOT has offered three: Option A, a 65-foot lift bridge costing $767 million; Option B, a 135-foot fixed-height bridge at $453 million; and Option C, a 100-foot fixed-height bridge that could be 35 feet taller or shorter based on input from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard, which are expected to weigh in next month.

According to NCDOT public comment data, a fair number of people like Option C. Based on preliminary maps, this option would impact the fewest properties. And, while NCDOT didn’t offer a cost estimate, less bridge would likely mean less money–and less chance of a toll (the Sword of Damocles hanging over local officials).

Supporters of Option C, most vocally the Historic Wilmington Foundation, cited NCDOT’s June 2024 navigational impact report noting that “vessels are not currently navigating this waterway that exceed 100 feet in height.” And last Friday, Wilmington Councilwoman Sallette Andrews drafted a resolution supporting Option C.

The problem is, it’s not really an option at all. 

It’s essentially a placeholder, with the height varying as much as 70 feet–which could translate into a difference of hundreds of millions in construction costs–based on what the Corps and Coast Guard ultimately decide as part of the “merger process” with over ten other agencies. That’s why NCDOT didn’t put an estimated price tag on it.

During Monday morning’s agenda meeting, NCDOT board member Landon Zimmer told Wilmington City Council that the navigational study was one of many “data points” that go into the merger process. He also said 100 feet “does not pass the guidelines,” and added that state representatives want 135 feet.

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo voiced frustration with NCDOT for sharing Option C if it essentially offered false hope.

“The 135 [-foot option] seems to be what you’re really focusing on,” Saffo said. “Which is fine, just put the cards on the table.”

Zimmer, for his part, held the party line: “Trust the process.” He said keeping options open has allowed a lot of progress to date, including the $242-million grant via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that got paused this week.

(Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who supported the BIL and advocated for this specific grant, didn’t respond to a request for comment. New Hanover County Commissioner Dane Scalise wrote on X that he’d recently met with Tillis and other Republicans in Congress, who assured him the grant was not in the “proverbial crosshairs.”)

During Tuesday’s regular meeting, council went with a milder resolution, asking NCDOT to explore ways to protect homes, businesses, and historic structures–without supporting any particular height.

Zimmer and others have suggested that council’s saber rattling could imperil current and future funding. At the same time, it’s unlikely to matter in the final height decision. The Coast Guard tends to conserve existing conditions, like the current 135-foot clearance. And historically, federal agencies tend to get their way.

Being told to go to your room while the adults hash things out is uncomfortable, at best, for city council members who want to advocate for their constituents. But there may be good reasons to make friends instead of demands.

The infrastructure grant took years of maneuvering and negotiating at the state and federal level, and even if it’s “unpaused,” there are still financial concerns on the horizon. On Wednesday, NCDOT confirmed a new estimate for the 135-foot fixed-height bridge has increased from $453 million to $1.1 billion.

Saffo, who has watched plans for a new bridge come and go before, called it two days earlier.

“We’re talking about [a] billion–plus,” he said. “It’s not even a joke.”

–Benjamin Schachtman

Catch up on an audio conversation on last week’s edition here. Contact The Dive team with tips and feedback at johanna@theassemblync.com.

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Wall of Receipts

At least two Wilmington-area federal buildings appear on DOGE’s “wall of receipts,” a list of canceled contracts meant to showcase billions in savings.

But as news outlets have begun to audit the list, DOGE has deleted some claims and lowered the supposed savings. Some actually occurred during previous administrations or contain accounting errors, like an $8 billion reported cut that was actually $8 million. 

Sloppy accounting aside, DOGE’s efforts have affected public employees across the country.

Among the 748 real estate cancellations is an Internal Revenue Service office in Wilmington with a $319,571 annual lease. But the only IRS building here is a taxpayer assistance office on Jaeckle Drive. 

An IRS representative reached Tuesday said that office is still open. 

A second Wilmington-area lease listed is a 4,350-square-foot U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building that costs $53,011 annually. Army Corps spokesman Dave Connolly said the building was previously used as a warehouse across from its Wilmington headquarters on Darlington Avenue. Connolly said the Corps was already close to finalizing a process to vacate the building and end the lease in May 2026.

“So, the fact that it is on the list simply accelerated a process we had already started,” Connolly said. 

–Johanna F. Still

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A Moderate Matchup?

Last week, former New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield Jr. announced his intention to run for mayor of Wilmington–even though the formal filing period doesn’t open until this summer. Barfield’s announcement preempts word from longtime Mayor Bill Saffo about whether he’ll seek reelection. 

After serving the county for 16 years, Barfield lost his reelection bid last November by just 250 votes. 

Saffo is Wilmington’s longest-serving mayor, winning election nine times and serving nearly 22 years. Last year, he told The Assembly he had more to accomplish before bowing out: “I think I’ll know it when I know it.”

Since Barfield’s announcement, Saffo has been dodging questions about whether he’ll run again, but promised he will share an answer soon. Barfield, a fellow Democrat, said he gave Saffo a heads up about his intention more than a month ago, and quoted a friend’s advice to WHQR that “you can’t make your plans based on what other people are doing.”

Barfield appears to have entered the ring without coordination from the party machine. 

Saffo has mostly nabbed smooth victories throughout his political career, including an easy win over his most recent competition, former mayor Harper Peterson, in 2021. Peterson is seen as more progressive than either Saffo or Barfield, so it will be interesting to see how voters–and donors–respond. 

–Johanna F. Still

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Around the Region

Private Partnership: Nonprofit Novant Health announced a “transformative partnership” with the private Duke Health, but both were mum on specifics, Business NC reports. 

A Taste for Waste: A company with a questionable past and controversial plans to turn plastic into fuel has an office in Wilmington, Inside Climate News reports. 

Church and State: The General Assembly expanded school voucher funding last year, and WHQR finds that New Hanover County saw a 365 percent increase in the number of students using them to attend private schools. At $1.5 million, St. Mark Catholic School collected the highest in the area.

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Around the State

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