Blog
The Old Sunset Beach Bridge
Posted on 03/02/2013
It’s been a little over a year since the Sunset Beach swing
bridge was relieved of its duty after the better part of 50 years on the job. Whether
you were a local to the area or a visitor on vacation this little engine that
could was a door way of nostalgia which took us back in time as we crossed the
single lane wooded bridge to a quaint island paradise. It was that welcoming sign
that you were only minutes away from your destination. That is unless you
arrived at the top of the hour when the swing bring, like clockwork, would turn
on its pontoons to allow waiting boaters to pass.
As Brunswick County North Carolina continued to grow so did
Sunset Beach, and with this growth became the unfortunate reality that it was
time for a change. The decision was made to replace the swing bridge with a two
lane, 65 foot high arch bridge. Most locals were not for this decision but it
was necessary- then came the question of what will become of this timeless
landmark to the area. The bridge was actually scheduled for demolition that is
until three Sunset Beach women stepped in and formed the Old Bridge
Preservation Society.
Founders Karen Dombowski, Chris Wilson, and Ann Bokelman
diligently worked to save the bridge, and they did! They managed to get 6,000
letters from residents, homeowners and guests to the island. Clarice and Ronnie
Holden, owners of Twin Lakes Seafood and Island Breeze, came to the rescue and
generously donated the land where the bridge has been moved, which is ironically
only a few hundred feet away from where it sat on the Intracoastal Waterway for
over 50 years. It also rests under the shadow of the new arch bridge where you
can stop by and tour what was once the only means, other than by boat, on or
off the island. To visit the Old Bridge
you can stop by 109 Shoreline Drive West in Sunset Beach or go the OBPS website
at http://www.oldbridgepreservationsociety.org for more information.
A lot of people miss traveling over the old bridge, myself included,
but there is no doubt that the new bridge was a necessity and much easier for everyone.
Not only does it make travel much quicker to and from the island, but the boats
no longer have to wait for their "once an hour window” to pass through. One of
the many silver linings to the new addition is now; like the arch bridge between
the mainland and Ocean Isle Beach, when at the top you can see for miles and it’s
absolutely majestic!
So as the saying goes "when one door closes, another one
opens” only this door was the last of its kind but thanks to the Old Bridge
Preservation Society you can still visit and reminisce with a piece of history
and culture of Sunset Beach.