The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge has been in the news a lot lately since repairs to the structure have started .
The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, which opened in 1969, carries traffic on U.S. 17, U.S. 76 and U.S. 421 across the Cape Fear River between Brunswick County and downtown Wilmington.
Of course, commuters in the Wilmington area travel over a number of different bridges. Many of them have been named for people who have made various contributions to the region.
Here are six of the many local bridges, small to large, with notable namesakes in the Wilmington area.
Meadowlark Lemon Bridge
The late Meadowlark Lemon was a Wilmington native who attended Williston Industrial School, where he played basketball and football. Lemon went on to become the “Clown Prince of Basketball” as a star with the Harlem Globetrotters from 1955-1980. In October 2019, the Third Street Bridge was named in honor of Lemon. The bridge is located in busy downtown Wilmington on Third Street between the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College and the WAVE Transit station.