Both the aging Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse apparently are unscathed after yesterday’s surprise earthquake shook the Outer Banks and much of the eastern United States.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is currently has repair work underway on the Bonner Bridge to keep it in service without weight restrictions until the replacement is built,” according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Dara Demi.

Bridge inspectors are part of the crew working on the bridge, she said, so they were able to visually inspect the bridge soon after the earthquake and saw no visual damage, she said.

The NCDOT Locations and Surveys Unit is on the bridge today, she added, collecting data for use after the hurricane to check for settling, which could cause sections to be lower than others.

“They are also going to compare it to pre-earthquake information to make sure it did not cause any settling, but again there are not visual signs of that,” Demi said.
 
She also said that DOT crews are looking at all bridges for any damage from the earthquake, such as sagging, misalignment, or joints that don't look right, as they do their daily work throughout the counties.

A park engineer inspected the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse yesterday after the quake, said Cyndy Holda, public affairs specialist for the National Park Service.

There were no new cracks or damage, she said.