The River Road realignment restores and reconnects wetlands and coastal marsh, protects unique sand ridges, provides a multiuse trail and wildlife corridor, opens access to waterfront property on the Cape Fear River, and offers a safer roadway through dual-lane roundabouts. The $10-million project was completed at no cost to taxpayers and is part of Wilmington’s new RiverLights community. The roadway was closed for 14 weeks, and traffic was rerouted. This option nearly halved construction time, allowed the city to complete additional maintenance work and got motorists back on the road more quickly.
