Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge | |
| Carries | US 64 |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Croatan Sound |
| Locale | Manteo, North Carolina |
| Design | concrete segmented girder |
| Total length | 5.2 miles (8.4 km) |
| Opening date | August 16, 2002 |
|
|
The Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge is the newest, longest, and widest bridge over the Croatan Sound. The four-lane bridge carries U.S. Highway 64 Bypass from Manns Harbor to Roanoke Island in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The bridge provides express access from the North Carolina mainland to the Outer Banks communities. It was named after Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas to English parents, who resided on the Roanoke Island colony. At a length of 5.2 miles, the Dare Bridge is the longest in the state, constructed with nearly 44,000 tons of deck concrete, 88 concrete columns, and over 2,000 piles.[1]
The Dare Bridge suceeded the old William B. Umstead Bridge, which was previously the only crossing over the Croatan Sound. The Umstead Bridge now serves as a segment of a business route for U.S. Highway 64, which goes through the town of Manteo; the Dare Bridge bypasses this town.
The second crossing over the sound was constructed to alleviate traffic congestion along the old Umstead Bridge and through Manteo, as well as to provide a safer and more efficient hurricane evacuation route for Outer Banks residents and visitors.
