Mount Holly bridge to remain closed from storm debris after flooding

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Though flood waters may have receded in the Charlotte area, a major road is still blocked off in the middle of Mount Holly.

The Highland Street bridge over Dutchman’s Creek remains closed Tuesday, blocking the road off at N.C. 27. City officials say the bridge for N.C. 273 has been compromised due to the recent flooding from Hurricane Helene.

“There’s a possible void underneath the road at the southwest corner of the bridge, and a significant amount of logs and debris have accumulated at its base,” they told Queen City News.

The closure is causing heavy traffic delays on southbound North Main Street during the afternoon.

The N.C. Department of Transportation needs to remove this debris before they can fully inspect the bridge’s underwater columns to ensure they’re safe and undamaged. This process may take some time as there are many other bridges in the western part of the state that were also impacted by the storm.

As soon as the necessary repairs are made or NCDOT confirms the bridge is safe, it will reopen, the city says.

According to the NCDOT, the bridge is expected to reopen by noon Thursday, Oct. 10.

Parts of eastern Gaston County received nearly 7 inches of rain last week. And the area was impacted by water from the mountains coming down the Catawba River Basin.

Flooding causes wastewater spill

City officials also reported a discharge of untreated wastewater Monday afternoon. The bypass pump was in place at 6:15 p.m.

An estimated 4,600 gallons of raw sewage was discharged into Dutchman’s Creek due to an aerial sewer pipe destroyed by storm debris.

The Division of Water Resources was notified immediately. Repairs were made from 4 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The creek’s flooding impacted several neighborhoods and businesses north of downtown Mount Holly. High water levels on the Catawba River impacted marinas and city parks.

A mandatory evacuation was lifted on Monday for those living along Mountain Island Lake.

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