The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen will on Thursday mull requesting new limits on when the Heide Trask Drawbridge can open during morning and evening rush hour traffic periods.
At the Thursday meeting, the board will consider sending a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard asking for a rules change on when the drawbridge can open. Currently, recreational boaters can request an opening of the start of every hour. Mayor Bill Blair said the board will review whether it can request that a two-hour period in the morning and evening where bridge openings would be allowed only for emergency, likely from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Commercial boats can request bridge openings on an on-demand basis.
Town manager Tim Owens told the board in a memo that it could request the change to the Coast Guard as part of a first step. Approval from the North Carolina Department of Transportation could also be required.
