The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1960-08-05
MANY VISITORS NOW TAKING
LAST FERRY BOAT RIDE AS
ALLIGATOR SPAN PROGRESSES
A New Way of Life and Enlarged Opportunities
For Profit Predicted Once The Several
Bridges Uniting the Area Are Completed;
Rapid Progress Being Made by Contractors
on Bridge Connecting Hyde and 7yrreI.

SANDY POINT, Tyrrell Coun-
ty.-Visitors to North Cardinals
Outer Banks may not realize 1t but
they are taking one of their last
ferryboat rides across the Alligator
River.
The activity underway here at
the western shore of the river
is part of the job of spanning the
waters of the Alligator with a
bridge, eliminating ferry service
and providing a direct access to
the Outer Banks. By the summer
of 1862, the bridge, one of the larg-
est ever built in North Carolina,
will be under traffic and the three
ferries which now Transport We
hicular traffic across the river will
no longer be needed.
Opening of the bridge to traffic,
will bring the Dare resort areas
closer to the central part of the
State by some 40 miles. The bridge
will provide shot in the arm for
all tourist interests in the area
and will mean uninterrupted driv-
ing along US GA.
Another bridge scheduled for
future letting is the Oregon In
let structure, providing quicker ac-
cess to Hatteras Island and the
Seashore Natioanl Park, first of
its kind in the nation.
A new way of life has been pre-
dicted for all of northeastern
North Carolina with the compile
ton of the bridges. Several years
ago, the Umstead Bridge at Manns
Harbor was opened to traffic. and
since that time, there has been
an upsurge in activity there. New
motels, service stations and res
taurants have appeared and party
boat fishermen report increased
business.
This community already is wit
Messing a change. The undeveloped
country around the ferry landing
has been transformed into a minia-
ture city, complete with night
Waterman, and long before actual
construction was begun on the
bridge, crews moved into the area
and built a harbor for use in
Transporting materials to and from
the scene. Several miles away, a
trailer park was set up to accom-
modate> the T. A. Loving Company
employees who will call Sandy
Point home for the next two years.
The biggest "do it yourself"
project ever witnessed around these
parts was set up only few feet
from shore, where Loving makes
his own prestressed concrete piles
and girders for the bridge. The
casting yard was built on the spot
as an economy measure, saving
the cost of transporting piles and
girders from commercial yards as
far away as Raleigh or Whining
ton.
By building the piles and Orders
at the construction site, the Colds
boro contracting firm has estab-
lished a first in North Carolina
bodybuilding. This is the first
time that contractor has under
taken the job Of casting his own
piles and Orders on location, ac-
cording to Loving's superintend-
ent on the job, G. B. Trimble.
The casting yard consists of
two casting beds, equipped to cast
6 piles each at a time. The piles,
ranging in length from 46 to 81
feet, are reinforced with 20 strands
of 7/16 inch cable, manufactured
in Italy. Some of the first piles
put into place on the bridge were
reinforced with Japanese-made
cable, according to Trimble, who
said the original shipment from
Italy was delayed in port in New
York by the long-shoremen,s
See FERRY, Page Six
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