Caldwell County bridge closed for repairs collapses

GRANITE FALLS, N.C. — A bridge that was closed for structural damage in Caldwell County has collapsed.

Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty tweeted out video that shows the bridge collapsed into the water below.

The bridge on Falls Avenue in Granite Falls was shut down last fall by the Department of Transportation.

Channel 9 reported on the bridge in January when residents who live nearby said they have seen very little work done to fix it.

Before it closed, more than 5,000 vehicles crossed the bridge every day.

The bridge, which crosses Old Millpond, was shut down because the pylons underneath have splintered and a section of the road above buckled.

Initially, the state looked at replacing the damaged pylons, but discovered the cost of $875,000 was about a third of what it would take to replace it.

The bridge, which was built in 1942, was supposed to be fixed in a month, according to DOT officials.

After three months, the DOT was looking to replace the entire bridge.

DOT officials said work will begin in the next several weeks and they hope to have the bridge replaced in about eight months.

Cox Media Group