The Price of Paradise

For the third time in recent years, the emergency ferryroute from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe has been activated, due to the BonnerBridge closing. This may come as a shock to most landlubbers, but tonatives, incidents like this come with the turf. Having been born andraised on Colington Island, IâåÛåªve witnessed firsthand the many ways Mother Naturecan put up her road block. Colington road follows an ancient cow paththat dates back to the days of Sir John Colleton, and as you can imagine, theydidnâåÛåªt always follow the most suitable route. Before the stateraised the most problematic spots, it only took a NW wind around 20 knots tocompletely submerge the road. If there was a hurricane, it wasnâåÛåªt evenworth trying. I can remember getting my feet wet because the water wouldsplash up through the gear shift, this always made for great conversation atthe lunch table. How that little Toyota truck rolled through the waterall those times, still baffles me It would have made a greatcommercial.
Residents of Colingtonand Hatteras islands have shared many of the same hardships, including onlyhaving one way on and off. There is however, one glaringdifference. The Bonner Bridge had an original lifespan of 30 years, andrecently scored 4 out of 100 on its inspection prompting NCDOT to deem itunsafe for travel, again. The closest Colington came to being permanently cutoff was during the construction of the new bridges. The old wooden spanhad caught fire, just as the new span was being completed. As for the BonnerBridge, this is not the first time the bridge has been compromised in recentmemory. Twenty -three years ago, a barge working on the Oregon Inlet navigationchannel, came loose from its moorings during a norâåÛåªeaster and smashed into thebridge. It knocked down five sections and left about a football fieldsized gap in the span. During this incident, a WW2 era LCU was usedto transport personnel and supplies to Hatteras Island. It wasnâåÛåªt until adecade ago that NCDOT set up the emergency ferry from Stumpy Point to HatterasIsland. They could not have timed it any better. It was in 2003 thatHurricane Isabel decimated the Outer Banks. This was the first time Irode the ferry across the Pamlico Sound to Hatteras Island. Along the wayI recall seeing a man with body guards and a brief case hand cuffed to his wrist,I asked my father about it and turns out, he was a representative from the bankcarrying much needed cash to the island. Since credit cards werenâåÛåªt working,most everything was dealt with in cash.
This inclines one to ponder, why hasnâåÛåªt thebridge been replaced after all these years? The hurdles began long beforemy time with groups like the Southern Environmental Law Center and AudubonSociety suing the State and Federal Government citing a host of EPA regulationsand environmental acts. Today, this debate is more heated than everdue to the fragile state of the Oregon Inlet Bridge. According to NCDOTthe necessary funds needed to build the new bridge have been allocated; butdonâåÛåªt hold your breath. Oregon InletâåÛåªs future rests in the hands of just a few people; and until the first vehicle makes its way across the new span,residents on Hatteras must live with an uncertainty most canâåÛåªt fathom.