North Carolina has rejected an unsolicited bid to replace the aging Cape Fear Memorial Bridge as a public-private partnership, but the state has not dismissed the possibility of using a P3 in the future.
The "conceptual" P3 bid, submitted in February, featured a "project scope that was not materially different" from the state's own plan to replace the bridge, Trevor Carroll, a division engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, told the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization last week.
"And the terms presented were either not allowable or did not create any benefit to NCDOT," Carroll said.
Delivering Bridges LLC, an affiliate of United Bridge Partners, submitted the design-build-operate-finance-maintain proposal in February. It featured a six-laned tolled replacement of the existing span, which was built in 1969, and a $1.1 billion price tag, according to local reports.
The state's price tag is around $1.2 billion and also features six spans with about the same elevation.
The WMPO approved the potential use of tolls for the project in May 2025.
The Biden administration awarded the state a $242 million bridge grant in 2024, and the NCDOT has identified another $85 million for engineering design.
A working group and oversight committee, made up of NCDOT leadership and WMPO representatives, reviewed the proposal's technical and financial components and for compliance with state policies, and issued a recommendation July 2.
The state's decision does not foreclose on the possibility of using a P3 for the bridge, Carroll said.
"If a P3 delivery method were to be pursued for the project, this proposer would not be precluded from participating in the competitive bid process," Carroll explained. "The proposer would not automatically be shortlisted, either."
The new bridge is expected to include tolls, which would require a change in state law.
"While NCDOT is not moving forward with the unsolicited proposal … we are continuing to work on delivering this bridge as a traditional toll project, contingent upon legislative change," Carroll said. "We've heard it, we've said it time and time again — we're going to explore all options."
The NCDOT is poised to release its environmental assessment and the potential construction start date is December 2027, Carroll said.
Meanwhile, over in Charlotte, the city council may take a fresh look at its May vote that
After the votes, the state passed a budget that included a provision requiring municipalities to refund the state for money spent on design plans if the organizations don't opt to move forward. Charlotte would reportedly owe $64 million by early October. Other governments that are part of the MPO have already rescinded their opposition. NCDOT has also said it would commit $300 million in community investment for neighborhoods negatively impacted by the project.
The Charlotte regional transportation board faces a deadline of Oct. 5 to recommit to the project.
