By Joy Crist, IslandFreePress.org
The new Bonner fishing and sightseeing pier at the southern edge of Oregon Inlet is expected to open to the public in the late summer or early fall of 2021, per a recent update from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The 1,046-ft. structure is actually a remaining section of the former Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which was intentionally left intact to serve as an observation and fishing pier.
The project, which is a collaboration between the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, has a few items left to complete before the site can officially open to anglers and sightseers, including the completion of the ADA accessible walkway to the pier, and installing signage and additional information for pier visitors.
The pier will be managed by the National Park Service, and more details on the operations of the pier will be announced in the coming months.
Until work is complete and the pier is officially open to visitors, the public is reminded not to walk on the pier, and to avoid the adjacent construction areas and equipment.
The original Bonner Bridge was built in 1963 and was replaced by the current Marc Basnight Bridge, which opened to traffic in February of 2019.