Mount Holly bridge damaged in storm, repair timeline uncertain

Mount Holly officials say they’ve received several inquiries as to when the bridge over Dutchman’s Creek on Highland Street will be reopened.

According to an update recently posted to one of the city’s social media pages, the bridge cannot be reopened until the North Carolina Department of Transportation approves it.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Helene damaged the bridge, leading to its closure.

“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,” the post said. “As this is not a city-owner road, the North Carolina Department of Transportation decides when the bridge will be opened.”

The first step to repair will be clearing the debris surrounding the bridge base so professionals can inspect the structure.

"The NCDOT needs to remove this debris before they can fully inspect the underwater columns to ensure they’re safe and undamaged," the post said.

"This process may take some time as there are many other bridges across the state that were also impacted by the storm," it said. "As soon as the necessary repairs are made or NCDOT confirms the bridge is safe, we will reopen the road."

Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes around the bridge including:

• N.C. 273 onto Sandy Ford Rd then onto Lowland Dairy Rd to Old N.C. 27 to Hawthorne Street
• N.C. 273 to Lucia Riverbend Highway to N.C. 16

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Mount Holly bridge damaged in storm, repair timeline uncertain