For cynics and pragmatists, a new tolled bridge over the Cape Fear River seems like a fait accompli.
With a price tag of over $1.1 billion, NCDOT can’t foot the whole bill — or, at least, can’t justify spending that much money here while other projects around the state languish. Even with a $242 million federal grant, officials say the only way to fund the bridge right now is with a toll.
It’s always been a deeply unpopular option, but now instead of a spectre on the horizon, it’s closer to becoming a concrete and steel reality…