What's The Deal With Pea/Hatteras Island (2015, construction)

[Hudlander]

So Pea Island used to be an island, until it merged with Hatteras Island, then we had the S-curves.

Then Irene comes, and destroys NC 12, Pea Island is again an Island, with a few more inlets between Pea and Rodanthe.
NC DOT build a temporary bridge so NC 12 can run from Bodie Island/Penninsula to Hatteras.

Questions:

1) How long is this bridge supposed to last? A few months or possible a decade?

2) Are they going to fill the new inlets (speaking of which, how many new inlets are there) like they did in 2003 after Isabella? Or are they finally going to stop this nonsense and let nature takes it course, simply building the bridge, and leaving the inlets alone (new) alone?

3) Geographically, is Pea Island going to remain an Island and are there other new Islands?

4) Are the S-turns/curves gone and not coming back?

[box_of_zip_disks]

In order:

1- It's designed to last ten years. It'll probably be replaced before then considering it only allows one lane of traffic through at a time. People will probably get very sick of it early next summer.
2- Probably. It's a matter of getting funding, which takes time and why nobody's willing to say anything specific because they're in the process of figuring out what options are available.
3- Probably not. The inlet will likely get filled at some point in the next couple years when funding for a dredge is sorted out.
4- The replacement for the Oregon Inlet bridge contains a plan to establish long-term stability in the various "hot spots" along NC 12 in the next phases of construction, but again funding hasn't been established and the DOT is waiting until the bridge itself is finished in 2015 to start looking at that aspect.

[Bill Hitchcock]

I can offer nothing more about the process except what is readily available to the public.
I do however have a lot of experience in things pertaining to water qualty, fish migration/habitat, beach nourishment and the politics/agendas that drive them.

[VaVet96]

Originally Posted by box_of_zip_disks

In order:

1- It's designed to last ten years. It'll probably be replaced before then considering it only allows one lane of traffic through at a time. People will probably get very sick of it early next summer.

It's actually a two lane bridge, one North and one Southbound, just like the road itself.
islandfreepress.org has some good pictures and even a video of the grand opening.

[box_of_zip_disks]

Originally Posted by VaVet96

It's actually a two lane bridge, one North and one Southbound, just like the road itself.
islandfreepress.org has some good pictures and even a video of the grand opening.

Yeah I noticed that this morning when I drove down there. I had read it was gonna be one lane. Glad that it's not.

[Hudlander]

1) So for now, they are leaving the new inlets as they are?

2) So are there any official geographic names for the inlets and new islands? Is Pea Island officially back?

3) Related, if it weren't for dredging (which I guess is pumping/digging and moving sand around) would Oregon Inlet have closed? If so, what would be of the area, just a big sand bank or grass?
How long ago would it have shut down?

[MrBojangles]

Well Irene Inlet would fit, but I've heard it being called New New Inlet. New Inlet was the inlet that split Bodie and Hatteras Islands.