Gribblenation

On April 2nd, the first day NC 172 through Camp Lejeune was closed to the public, a group of about 20 residents protested the closure by driving their vehicles to the Sneads Ferry Gate on NC 172. The hope was to tie up base traffic. The protest lasted about an hour. There were no incidents reported. Story: New Bern Sun Journal

The United States Marine Corps will officially close NC 172 through Camp Lejeune to the general public on Monday, April 2. The question now is will NC 172 be decommissioned ? Story Links: Shortcut through Lejeune to close next week --- Marine Corps Times Camp Lejeune to start enforcing restrictions on state highway --- WIS-TV

Sneads Ferry, NC -- the small New River Inlet Village that will see the most impact from the US Marine Corps' decision to close NC 172 -- suffered another transportation blow when a bridge on nearby NC 210 will be closed by NCDOT for repairs. NC 210 is the main route into Sneads Ferry from either US 17 and Jacksonville or from NC 172. The bridge repairs are to begin this October. Many residents are concerned about the impact of the two road closures isolating their town. "Most people I know are more concerned with the closure of (N.C.) 210 than they are of (N.C) 172," said Sneads Ferry Community Council chairman John Uhrick. The bridge replacement is expected to take six to seven months. The state was unable to gain environmental clearance for a temporary crossing, so for three months NC 210 will need to be closed. The remainder of the construction traffic using the new bridge will be restricted to an alternating single lane. See: Jacksonville Daily News - "Ano...

As the start of restrictions for NC 172 through Camp Lejeune draws near, more details about the restrictions and reasoning behind it begin to emerge. First, once restrictions begin access to the highway through the base will be limited to those that have a Department of Defense Permit on their windshield. Permit stickers like these are commonly used for access to restricted areas of other military bases nationwide. The gate is schedule to close on April 2, 2007. Note: This date could be pushed back. About 1900 civilian motorists would be affected by this change and be required to use the US 17/NC 24 detour. In an earlier article, I mentioned an agreement in 1946 pretty much allows the base to restrict access at will over the highway. Well, more detail has come out about that. the Marines pretty much own NC 172 through base property. From ENCToday.com : DOT division engineer Allen Pope said that although he’d like to see N.C. 172 stay open, there isn’t much he can do because of an ...

Nothing news breaking but two unique perspectives of the probable closing of the highway through Camp Lejeune . Wilmington Morning Star Editorial - Closing NC 172 a blow to goodwill between the Marines and the general public. WECT TV 6 - Examines how much longer the Jacksonville route actually is. Includes video. See Also: Could NC 172 be Decommissioned?

U.S Marine Corps officials plan to close a state highway that runs through Camp Lejeune . The road, NC Highway 172, would only be open to vehicles with Department of Defense decals. The highway is a commonly used short cut for motorist traveling between the Wilmington and Morehead City/Beaufort areas. The highway totally avoids Jacksonville, and parts of the highway runs through the heart of the Military Base. The restricted access is for security reasons, although no specific threat was named. "It's in response to an ongoing evaluation we've had of our security," said Col. Brant Bailey, director of training and operations at Camp Lejeune . Besides commuters looking to bypass Jacksonville, NC 172 is also shared by NC Bike 3, the Ports of Call Route. Story via the Durham Herald-Sun . NC 172, US 17, and NC 24 around Camp Lejeune and Jacksonville. (Source: 2007 NCDOT Highway Map) Commentary: If this plan does happen, --- and from the story it looks like local l...