Suspension bridge on First Broad River trail nearly complete

Rebecca Sitzes/Special to The Star
·2 min read
City leaders expect the First Broad River Trail bridge will be up and running at the end of the month.
City leaders expect the First Broad River Trail bridge will be up and running at the end of the month.

A new suspension bridge will allow pedestrians to cross over the First Broad River Trail once again after near-record flooding swept the previous one away two years ago.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of January if all goes according to plan.

The trail, which opened in 2016, is part of the Carolina Thread Trail, and begins at West Grover Street near the public works station and continues below Ingles on East Dixon Boulevard.

The bridge is located a short distance from the trailhead and has been designed to withstand severe flooding.

Shelby City Manager Rick Howell said the city is cautiously optimistic the contractor, Blue Ridge Trail Works, will have the bridge finished by Feb. 1.

The bridge has been raised about 10 feet from its original location.

The cost of replacing the bridge and relocating sections of the trail was in the neighborhood of $250,000.
The cost of replacing the bridge and relocating sections of the trail was in the neighborhood of $250,000.

“It was designed so that if there is another event similar to February 2022, that bridge would hopefully withstand that,” Howell said. “Obviously nothing is guaranteed, but we did have that design in mind so it could be sustained if we had another flood event.”

The new bridge will also be wide enough to allow two people to pass by each other, unlike the former bridge.

Over the past two years, sections of the trail damaged by the flood have also been repaired.

“We relocated lengthy sections of the trail further away from the river bank,” Howell said. “During the Feb. 4th and 5th flood, parts of the bank were washed away. We have relocated the trail, and the trail is largely in good shape.”

More: Shelby receives grant to replace trail bridge

Howell said the total construction cost of replacing the bridge and relocating sections of the trail was in the neighborhood of $225,000.

The city received around $75,000 in grants and private contributions.

Howell said the trail was a popular place to walk and was well used prior to the flooding.

The bridge replacement is part of repairing damage from a storm in February 2020.
The bridge replacement is part of repairing damage from a storm in February 2020.

With the pandemic striking shortly after, it caused significant delays in getting it back up and running. Finding a contractor with the experience to construct those types of structures as well as funding issues slowed down progress.

“It was popular, and we're hoping to get it back open and eventually tie the trail on Grover Street at the sidewalk end into the [proposed] rail trail,” he said.

The city will be making a public announcement once the trail is complete.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Suspension bridge on First Broad River trail in Shelby nearly complete