NCDOT: South Mills Gap Road bridge closed indefinitely due to flood damage

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
·1 min read

FRUITLAND - The Jan. 9 storm that brought 4 to 6 inches of rain in Henderson County caused road closures, widespread flooding and even untreated wastewater discharges, and now it has made another road impassible due to damage to a bridge.

North Carolina Department of Transportation workers inspect the bridge on South Mills Gap Road after it was damaged by the flooding on Jan. 9. The bridge will be closed indefinitely for repairs.
North Carolina Department of Transportation workers inspect the bridge on South Mills Gap Road after it was damaged by the flooding on Jan. 9. The bridge will be closed indefinitely for repairs.

According to a Jan. 11 news release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the bridge on South Mills Gap Road will be closed indefinitely until repairs are made to stabilize the bridge.

More: More than 16K gallons of untreated wastewater discharged into Hendersonville creeks

"Heavy rains Tuesday and the ensuing runoff undermined the stability of a bridge on South Mills Gap Road, forcing N.C. Department of Transportation crews to close the bridge," NCDOT spokesperson David Uchiyama said in the release. "Engineers are developing a plan to replace the 70-year-old bridge over Clear Creek in the coming months."

This map on Google Maps shows the location of the South Mills Gap Road bridge that will be closed indefinitely due to flood damage.
This map on Google Maps shows the location of the South Mills Gap Road bridge that will be closed indefinitely due to flood damage.

Uchiyama said the new bridge will meet modern construction standards, with wider lanes, a taller guardrail and the capacity to carry heavier trucks.

More: Rainfall totals in Henderson County reported by Paul Speranza's weather spotters

"Due to the closure, drivers are being directed on a 2-mile detour utilizing Fruitland Road and U.S. 64," Uchiyama said.

NCDOT inspects and maintains more than 18,000 structures across the state, including more than 200 in Henderson County. For more information, visit www.DriveNC.gov for real-time traffic information and follow NCDOT on social media by going to this link: https://www.ncdot.gov/news/social-media/Pages/default.aspx.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: NCDOT: Flood damages S. Mills Gap Road Bridge, repairs to take months