HICKORY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – The City of Hickory released videos Tuesday showing the moment wooden arches over a City Walk pedestrian bridge collapsed last week.
The large wood arches were the centerpiece of the Hickory City Walk project that connects Lenoir-Rhyne University with downtown. The pedestrian bridge crosses over NC 127.
City officials said they reached out to businesses in the area to see if surveillance footage captured the collapse.
The City of Hickory released three videos of the event they said will help contractors in their investigation.
“We are saddened by this unfortunate event,” said Hickory Mayor Hank Guess. “Thankfully, no injuries were reported and collateral damage to the surrounding area appears minimal. We look forward to reopening this section of the City Walk.”
In April 2021, the project hid a roadblock due to “concerns brought to the contractor’s attention during installation.”
A city spokesperson said a section of the wood arched showed signs of “stress” and construction was stopped out of an “abundance of caution.” Engineers with the arch’s manufacturer, Western Wood Structures, inspected the structure and came up with a plan to reinforce it.
“I would hate for it to fall down on somebody under the bridge or on the train. It would suck,” Hickory resident Emily Sypher told Queen City News in May.
City officials said the “iconic” structure cost $752,743 and was paid for by a bond referendum approved by voters in 2014.
“As involved parties continue their investigation and the project progresses, the City of Hickory is committed to communicating information as it becomes available and recovering the public’s financial investment,” a news release from the city said Tuesday.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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