PEA ISLAND -- Utility work necessary to begin construction of the new Bonner Bridge replacement is underway.

“After decades of delays and court challenges, the people of Dare County and North Carolina will finally begin to see construction on the replacement for the Bonner Bridge,” Governor Pat McCrory said in a press release. “The Bonner Bridge has been a lifeline for the residents and visitors to the Outer Banks, and this first step toward building its replacement is a historic milestone for the region and entire state.”

The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge is on N.C. 12 over the Oregon Inlet in Dare County and has been in service since 1963.

Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative is doing the utility work in advance of construction which is slated to begin next spring.

PCL Civil Constructors Inc. and HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas will design and build the $216 million dollar replacement bridge. The 3.5 mile span is expected to take approximately three years to construct.