State Has Permission to Build Bridges Across Roanoke and Brunswick Rivers, Dec. 26, 1919

From the front page of the Hertford County Herald, Ahoskie, N.C., Friday, Dec. 26, 1919

To Construct Bridge Across Roanoke River

Permission has been granted by the War Department to the State Highway commission for the bridging of two navigable streams in the state, the Roanoke River between Halifax and Bertie Counties, and the Brunswick River two miles west of Wilmington. With the approval, the Commission will shortly advertise the two projects for contract, according to an announcement made by Mr. Frank Page, chairman of the Commission. The total expenditure on the two projects will approximate $600,000.

The bridge over the Roanoke River, with the approaches, is the largest single project yet to be undertaken by the Commission and will involve an outlay of about $400,000. The bridge itself will be 400 feet long with a draw to permit the passage of ships, and the approaches to the bridge will be two miles in length on either side, broken at intervals by shorter bridges and trestles. It will be the only bridge within 50 miles on that stream and its construction will present considerable engineering difficulties.

The above announcement appeared in the News & Observer Wednesday of this week, and comes as a welcome relief to motorists of this section who have practically no exit from this Roanoke-Chowan section to our neighboring county of Martin and Halifax. The bridge at Weldon heretofore has been the only dependable route.