October 7, 2020

Surf City, NC –  On behalf of the Town of Surf City, Balfour Beatty’s Surf City Topsail Island Bridge Connector (Surf City Bridge) project was awarded Most Voted Project and named honorable mention in the “rural” category by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) 2020 MOBI Awards. The NCDOT’s annual award program recognizes projects that showcase the transformational role of multimodal transportation investments and their impact on creating vibrant communities in North Carolina.

The top 2020 multimodal projects were honored on August 5 during a virtual ceremony, where the Surf City Bridge project received more than 14,000 public votes in the Most Voted Project category, passing the second-place project by over 3,000 votes. All submitted projects were required to have at least two modes of transportation that included bike and walking paths, public transportation centers, and/or greenways.

“We are honored to be recognized with the Town of Surf City and by our client, North Carolina Department of Transportation, on the delivery of the Surf City Bridge,” said Mark Johnnie, vice president and Southeast region manager for Balfour Beatty’s US civil operations. “This award is a true testament to our team’s dedication and expertise in providing a multimodal transportation solution that safely connects people to Surf City and Topsail Island communities. We are proud to partner with the Town of Surf City and NCDOT to further build on the state’s transportation infrastructure and growing economy for generations to come.”

The $53 million bridge in Surf City replaces an aging, 63-year-old steel truss swing-span bridge that formerly served as the only connection between the mainland and the area’s popular tourist destination, Topsail Island. The new seven-mile bridge includes a ten-foot-wide multi-use path for walking and biking and is equipped with roundabouts on either side to improve traffic congestion. Balfour Beatty began construction on the bridge in Oct. 2016 and safely completed construction in Dec. 2018 – more than six months ahead of schedule.