1/6/07

U.S. 127 bridge over Catawba is closed after cracks discovered

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

HICKORY - Transportation engineers closed the U.S. 127 bridge over the Catawba River on Friday evening after maintenance crews discovered cracks in the span.

Stacy Cooke, a state bridge maintenance engineer, said crews closed the road shortly before 5 p.m. Friday. Both lanes of traffic will be closed through the weekend and possibly longer, he said.

Crews were repairing a pothole Friday at the southern entrance when they noticed a crack in the bridge, Cooke said. The crack could possibly cause the bridge to tip downward and create a ramp steep enough to send a speeding car airborne.

Transportation officials have set up signs directing motorists to an alternate route.



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