Harkers Island bridge replacement
The Harkers Island Bridge replacement project is the first concrete bridge in North Carolina entirely reinforced with Glass FRP reinforcing bars and Carbon FRP prestressing strands. It replaces two sequential 50-year-old bridges: the Earl C. Davis Memorial Bridge, which was a swing-span moveable bridge in poor condition with frequent mechanical issues, and Carteret County Bridge No. 96 that was functionally obsolete and required an emergency superstructure replacement in 2013. Harkers Island is located in Carteret County, NC, near the southern end of the Outer Banks. Internal FRP reinforcement was used to create a bridge that will sustain the harsh saltwater environment with no maintenance over a design life of 75 years. The $60 Million design-bid-build project is 3,200 ft long with 28 spans and features a fixed navigational span. In total, approximately 1 Million linear feet each Glass and Carbon FRP materials were used in this project. The project was let to construction in July 2021 and officially opened in December 2023, approximately 10 months ahead of schedule in spite of a moratorium prohibiting any in-water work from April 1 through September 30 each year.
The new Harkers Island Bridge has been recognized through several national and international awards including the 2025 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Harry H. Edwards Industry Advancement Special Award and the Best Bridge with a Main Span from 76-200 Feet Transportation Award, and the 2025 International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC) Award for Outstanding FRP Field Application: New FRP Structures.
This annual lecture honors Professor Emeritus Dr. Paul Zia, former professor and department head of NC State’s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, and a structural engineer who was eminent in research, professional society leadership and practice.
