The bridge known locally as the Manns Harbor bridge and officially known as the William B. Umstead Bridge will be closed this week and part of next week, March 26 thru April 5, for repairs. The bridge crosses the Croatan sound and connects the northern end of Roanoke Island with Manns Harbor.

In the early 1980s a barge hit the bridge cracking one of the pilings. At the time the damage was enough to close the bridges for a couple of weeks but not before I unknowingly drove across it. That repair work now has to be replaced.

During the late summer and early fall months the Manns Harbor bridge has become somewhat of an attraction as upwards of 150,000 purple martins gather at the bridge to roost before they migrate south for the winter. If you are here in late August or early September it is worth the trip at dusk to watch the giant flocks manuver like one big creature.