Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge

The Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge spans 5.2 miles across the Croatan Sound, connecting Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island along US 64/US 264 in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. At the time of its opening, it became the longest bridge in the Carolinas and one of the longest concrete bridges on the East Coast.

The structure is a precast, prestressed concrete beam bridge with a cast-in-place lightweight concrete deck designed for long-term performance in a demanding marine environment. More than 250,000 tons of Stalite lightweight aggregate were incorporated into the project to reduce dead load while maintaining structural strength and durability.

Concrete pilings driven up to 100 feet into the seabed support the bridge, with post-tensioned girders at the 65-foot-high main navigation span to accommodate marine traffic. In total, the structure includes over 43,000 cubic yards of concrete and 7,000 tons of reinforcing steel.

Designed for a 100-year service life, the bridge improves daily traffic flow and serves as a critical hurricane evacuation route for the Outer Banks.