By: Erin Smith
The NC Department of Transportation board met on Thursday and approved the naming of the newly constructed bridge spanning the Cape Fear River in Tar Heel. The bridge will officially be called the David B. Melvin Bridge.
Melvin is a former ferry operator who fell in into the river in September 1954 and drowned while on duty. The Bladen County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution requesting the naming of the bridge at a meeting on March 17, 2014. Melvin was also an avid baseball player.
Melvin was also the grandson of Robert Melvin who served in the NC Senate.
According to Brisson, the NC DOT board met on Thursday and the vote to name the bridge in honor of Melvin was unanimous. The resolution calls for the appropriate signage to be erected “at a suitable time.”
“We’re hoping to have some type of special presentation in the near future,” said Brisson.
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