Balfour Beatty is the general contractor for the new Surf City Bridge. The project includes the replacement of the existing steel truss swing-span bridge with a fixed-span high-rise bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. Balfour Beatty is constructing the bridge along the new alignment that connects the mainland to Topsail Island, a popular tourist destination in the area.

The new bridge will be almost 4,000-feet long and 53-feet wide. Phase one will involve construction of the 29-span bridge as well as new roundabout intersections, MSE walls and approaches connecting the new bridge to the existing roadways on the mainland and the island. Phase 2 will involve tying in the roadways and switching traffic onto the new bridge. During phase 3, Balfour Beatty will remove the existing swing bridge, reduce the roads from three lanes to two and add a new 10-foot-wide multi-use pedestrian path.

Originally built in 1954, the existing bridge is functionally-obsolete and structurally-deficient. The new bridge will meet current design standards and improve traffic flow to and from Topsail Island.

The state-funded project will be open for traffic in November of 2020.