The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-06-27
NEW BYPASS BRIDGE OPEN
FOR TRAFFIC in COLUMBIA:
MAIN STREET IS CONCERNED
New Concrete Bridge And Wide Street Open
For Traffic Costing Close TO Million; Con+in-
ued Operation of Main Street Bridge Consi
dered Essential to Life of Community.

The new concrete bridge and BY
pass IN the town of Columbia on
U. 5. 264 is open for traffic, and
presents a great convenience for
the travelling public. The whole
job cost upwards of million dol
lars, and allows the motorist to
whiz through town without having
to pause. Little publicity has at
tended the opening of this new
bridge on route which offers a
SO mile saving in traffic between
Raleigh and Manteo, or 25 mile
saving between Manteo and Wash
ington by way of the easy ferry
schedules on Alligator River.
Ordinarily the opening of new
bridge of the importance of this
one at Columbia calls for a con-
siderable celebration, but such has
not attended the completion in this
case. In fact there has been almost
no newspaper publicity about the
bridge. This situation apparently
has grown out of the apprehension
along Main Street which accon1mo-
dates some 80 per cent of the COM
mercial activity of the Tyrrell
County capital. This situation was
born out of the great concern since
the State Highway Commission be-
gan to make a study of the pro-
posed bridge some three years ago.
U. S. 264 has always led smack
through Main Street in the heart
of town, past the courthouse. Here
one might find all the direction
signs at the intersection with NC
81 which leads southwark to Hyde
County, and here was always the
the ferry schedule. But last week
all the signs Were taken down and
moved a block south to the new
bypass, and this is something that
has aroused the concern of the
Main Street merchants.
Good Faith Agreement
When the Highway officials
came to town to discuss the i'm
provement of U. S. GA public opin-
ion was overwhelmingly in favor
of keeping the old bridge, and the
road through Main Street. There
is merit in the argument. 1t is the
nerve center of the towns CONNER
cial life. Heavy investments have
been made through the years in
construction of business property.
From this property comes the
larger part of Columbia tax in
come, and of course an important
contribution to the Tyrrell County
treasury as well.
AS in most small towns, and in
particularly in old towns, Main
Street is none too wide for today's
needs. In fact the highway people
figured out that to meet specifica-
lions whereby expenditure of Fed
eral money might be permitted, it
would be necessary to widen it
some 30 feet, and that meant some
IA feet would have to be sheared
off all the buildings on either side
of the street for a distance of at
least four blocks, and there were
other expensive complications. The
Highway people didn't want to pay
for the property to be destroyed
and rebuilt. None of the citizens
felt able to bear such terrific ex-
| pense incident to the comfort and
convenience of the nations travel
ing public. 1t meant putting every
one out of business for months at
time while work went on; con-
siderable loss, financially unbear-
able to many, and to others it
would mean they wouldn't have
sufficient store space left in order
to continue in business.
Recognition was given to the
possibility that the building of a
new bypass would mean virtual
confiscation for several types of
business on this street, which car
ried the hotel, three filling sta
tons, a drug store, cafe, etc. High
way people said they would build !
the new bridge, for the convenience
of tourists in a hurry who wanted
to get through town, but they
wouldn't penalize the Main Street
merchants, so they would keep
open, and maintain as an alternate
route, the Main Street bridge.
Columbia merchants bowling as
ever to the demands Of progress,
acceded to this good faith agree
ment, and were happy that their
time honored route would remain
on the map. They were relieved
on being assured that Main Street
would not become dead-end street
in which they would never see a
See BRIDGE. Page Twelve