More Speculation that the Mid-Currituck Bridge may not be such a "done deal".

Below is an article from the Virginia Pilot. It appears that the "Public" financing portion of the Public-Private Partnership may be in jeopardy.

Don't U-turn on Currituck bridge

The Virginian-Pilot
© November 28, 2010
After decades of debate, it appeared this spring that North Carolina officials were ready to proceed with construction of a toll bridge linking Currituck County's mainland and the Outer Banks village of Corolla. But the project may be headed for a traffic jam in Raleigh.

Republican lawmakers won control of the General Assembly in this month's elections, and - as The Pilot's Jeff Hampton recently reported - the search for potential budget cuts is leading some folks to the proposed bridge over Currituck Sound.

The connector has long been championed by Marc Basnight, a Democrat who'll lose his influential position as president of the state Senate next year. He's played a key role in steering money toward a public-private partnership to build and maintain the bridge.

The legislature needs to close a projected $3 billion to $4 billion deficit in its next session, and some lawmakers see the bridge as a potential savings. Current plans call for initial funding of $15 million annually, with the figure rising to $28 million a year in 2013 and continuing as long as 40 years.

The funding dispute fuels an already long-running controversy over whether the bridge should be built and, if so, where it should go. Residents on both sides of the bridge route are concerned about disruptions to their neighborhoods, and federal officials have expressed concerns about potential environmental damage.

Even supporters would agree the bridge isn't an ideal way to ease the summertime crawl to the beaches. But it's certainly preferable to the status quo, and it appears to be a more effective option than widening existing roads.

The bridge - which would begin near Aydlett, about 25 miles south of the Virginia-North Carolina line - would cut travel time for folks headed to the northern end of the Outer Banks.

The nearest existing crossing is the Wright Memorial Bridge, about 20 miles south of Aydlett. To get to Duck and Corolla, travelers have to go south toward Nags Head, then make a U-turn and head north another 10 to 20 miles.

The convoluted route has long been a source of safety concerns. A new bridge is expected to reduce evacuation times, boost tourism on both sides of the sound and curb pollution from idling vehicles.

There are potential downsides, most notably the effects on Aydlett and Corolla if precautions aren't taken to minimize disruptions and limit development that would undermine the benefits of a new bridge.

The push to re-examine the cost of the bridge is understandable, given tough economic times.

But North Carolina officials should bear in mind two things that their Virginia counterparts often neglect. First, the cost of construction is not likely to drop any lower than today. Second, talking endlessly about chronic transportation problems doesn't bring a solution any closer.