A first for North Carolina is taking shape in the mountains.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission are building the state’s first land bridge along NC-143, where Stecoah Gap meets the Appalachian Trail. The project is part of a new $10.2 million state investment in wildlife corridors, structures that connect wildlife habitats and can reduce vehicle collisions by up to 90 percent.
Construction on the bridge began in October 2022, and officials say it should be completed by the end of 2026.
The bridge is designed for hikers and wildlife, carrying traffic from one side of the Appalachian Trail to the other. Officials said it will use a mirrored layout, with one side fenced to funnel animals onto the crossing and another side set aside for hikers.
“We’ve never done something like this before, and it’s been interesting to see these walls and this land bridge constructed,” Adam Dockery, Division 14 resident engineer, told WLOS News.
Dockery said the crossing will use dirt and landscaping to separate people from animals.
“The way it’s designed with the dirt there, the landscaping that’s going to be put up here, you’ll have a flat side of dirt, and then you’ll have a mound in the middle where it kind of separates two passages,” Dockery explained in a video to WLOS.
The project includes a pre-cast concrete arch about 206 feet long, with a central mound dividing human foot traffic from local wildlife.
The bridge is meant to reconnect wildlife with habitat, cut down on vehicle collisions and make it easier for pedestrians to move through the area.
“There’s always people walking the Appalachian Trail and having encounters with bears or other wildlife,” hiker Jacob Popperwill told WLOS. “This just leaves them a route to be able to traverse together.”
The land bridge is part of a broader $681 million NCDOT Corridor K upgrade. On February 4, construction company Neel-Schaffer said Phase 1 was complete, covering most of the land bridge’s concrete foundation.
“The project is designed to blend naturally into the surrounding landscape, create a safer passage, and preserve the area’s natural character,” the company wrote in a social media update. “It’s exciting to see this project taking shape and to be part of a team improving safety and connectivity in such a beautiful part of North Carolina.”
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