NORTH WILKESBORO — N.C. Department of Transportation officials
closed a two-lane bridge on Abington Road in Lenoir as a safety precaution.
NCDOT crews established a marked detour around the closure
utilizing Fairview Drive Northwest, Harper Avenue North West, U.S. 64 and
Beecher Anderson Road.
An inspection on Tuesday revealed irregular flexing in the beams,
which weakened the overall integrity of the bridge. All 18,000 NCDOT bridges are
inspected at least every other year. This bridge had been on a list to be
replaced in the next two years.
The bridge was built in 1972. It has wood supporting steel beams, a
steel floor and an asphalt top. An average of 4,600 cars traveled that road as
of the last count in 2015.
Transportation officials remind drives to slow down in work zones
and obey all posted traffic signs.
Visit www.DriveNC.gov for real-time traffic information and follow NCDOT
on Twitter.