NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY) — Leaders from each side of the Cape Fear River trying to navigate these waters and work together as the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is set to undergo repairs on January 11th.
Brunswick County Commissioner Frank Williams said one thing is a must, proper information and communication.
“People need information, they need to know where they can get accurate information. If they don’t have a good source on accurate information, they will read something on Facebook or Nextdoor that is not accurate. Then, that will get spread and instead of proactively communicating, then we’re trying to respond to something that’s out there that’s not correct,” Williams explained.
Some concerns raised during the round table were driving times for residents who are going to work, school drop off and pick-up times, and medical emergencies. New Hanover County Emergency Management Director Steven Still said his departments job is to help in as many ways as possible.
“Reduce commute times primarily. Do everything that we can to make sure individuals know the detours and the routes, and to understand the flexibility of those detours and routes. Reduce the impacts on public safety, so those response times for law, fire and ems routes,” Still said.
Commissioner Williams suggested all departments team up to get information and updates out as quickly as possible.
“If we put all our communication people, the people who are disseminating information for the counties and the towns together, get them in this strategy of working together; we’ll do a much better job of getting people the information that they need in order to plan their trips once this closure happens,” said Williams.
Work is scheduled to begin on January 11th and hopes to be completed on May 23rd, 2024. The timeline for these repairs is currently tentative and could change.