William B. Umstead Bridge
William B. Umstead Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°55′07″N 75°44′57″W / 35.91855°N 75.74911°W |
| Carries | US 64 |
| Crosses | Croatan Sound |
| Locale | Dare County |
| Other name(s) | Dare County Bridge 9 Croatan Sound Bridge Old Manns Harbor Bridge |
| Named for | William B. Umstead |
| Owner | NCDOT |
| Maintained by | NCDOT |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Steel stringer |
| Total length | 14,265.8 feet (4,348.2 m) |
| Width | 26.6 feet (8.1 m) |
| Clearance below | 44.9 feet (13.7 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | T. A. Loving Company |
| Opened | 1955 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 1,800 (as of 2012) |
| Location | |
| References | |
The William B. Umstead Bridge is a two-lane automobile bridge spanning the Croatan Sound, between Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island, in Dare County, North Carolina. The bridge carries US 64 and is utilized by local and seasonal tourist traffic. The bridge speed limit is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), except during the months of July and August when it will drop to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) during dusk and dawn; the west end of the bridge becomes home of more than hundred-thousand purple martins as they prepare for their annual migration to Brazil.
The bridge is dedicated to William B. Umstead, who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a U.S. Senator and the 63rd Governor of North Carolina.