Outer Banks Dare Challenge—a residential substance abuse rehabilitation facility located in Wanchese—is in the process of completing a $2 million expansion project.

The project will include the construction of a nearly 10,000-square-foot multipurpose building featuring a full industrial kitchen, dining room and four additional classrooms. Two additional dormitories that will each house 16 individuals will also be constructed, more than doubling the number of clients Dare Challenge staff members can provide assistance to. 

The expansion—which was approved by the Dare County Board of Commissioners in January 2021—is funded by a $200,000 grant from Dare County, a $900,000 grant from the state of North Carolina and a $400,000 private donation. For more information about Outer Banks Dare Challenge, please visit OuterBanksDareChallenge.org.

To view the video detailing the project on Dare County’s YouTube channel, please click the video below.

The Alligator River Bridge—a 2.8-mile two-lane swing-span that was built in 1962 and connects the western edge of Dare County’s mainland to the eastern edge of Tyrrell County—will soon be replaced by an entirely new 3.2-mile high-rise span thanks to a $110 million federal grant that was announced in January 2023. 

The project, which is expected to begin in 2025, is one of only nine in the country to receive funding through President Joe Biden’s Mega Grant program that is designed to provide funding for projects that are too large or complex to be completed through the use of traditional funding programs.

The Alligator River Bridge replacement project was selected to receive the $110 million Mega Grant by President Biden’s $1.3 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law due to its status as an essential corridor that serves as a vital transportation lifeline and essential hurricane evacuation route for Dare County residents, visitors, property owners and commuters. 

Receiving funding from the mega grant award will significantly speed up the projected timeline of the critical bridge replacement project, which has been under discussion by state and local officials for several years due to the age and condition of the 61-year-old bridge and is estimated to cost a total of $294 million.

More than 4,000 boats pass through the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway each year, forcing both eastbound and westbound traffic to stop frequently as the swing-span opens and closes in order to accommodate the passage of each vessel. 

Construction of a new 3.2-mile two-lane fixed-span bridge with a 65-foot vertical clearance just north of the original structure will make it possible for motorists to continue to their destinations unimpeded rather than waiting for the swing-span to open and close—or having to embark a 99-mile detour when the span gets stuck in the open position for several hours or even multiple days due to electrical or mechanical issues.

In addition to replacing the outdated Alligator River Bridge bridge with a safe and reliable structure that improves mobility and aids in hurricane evacuations, plans are also being put into place to use $16 million from the grant to install broadband infrastructure along Highway 64 through this critical corridor in eastern North Carolina from Rocky Mount to Nags Head that would bring high-speed internet service to the area.   

On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard joined Federal Highway Administration Shailen Bhatt, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Eric Boyette, as well as numerous state and local officials, at a press conference that was held at the Alligator River Marina in Columbia to share information and express their excitement about the highly anticipated project.   

“On behalf of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, I’d like to express our excitement about this remarkable grant opportunity for a new and much needed Alligator River Bridge,” said Woodard. “It will provide a pathway to work for countless people earning a living. It will provide access to advanced medical care for people in the rural counties of northeastern North Carolina. It will provide safe transportation for young people seeking educational opportunities, and, as you've heard, it will be a life-saving tool in the event of hurricane evacuations. The people of Dare County are grateful for this grant from the federal government.”

Several projects are planned to renovate and modernize the 80-year-old Dare County Regional Airport facility using funding received from two grants in 2023.

The first grant ($2.3 million) is for new LED airfield lighting, as well as a beacon, windsock, precision approach lights and a generator. This work is currently expected to be completed by summer 2024.

The second grant was awarded through the State Capital Infrastructure Fund. The Dare County Regional Airport received $2 million for the construction of additional hangars. This work is currently expected to start at the end of 2024.

Additional information about these projects will be posted as it becomes available.