ELIZABETHTOWN — On a hot summer day last July, the ribbon was cut and Elizabethtown celebrated the transformation of Tory Hole Park.
Less than two months later, flooding from the Cape Fear River caused by Hurricane Florence rendered it closed.
Today, heavy equipment continues to bring out the worst of the Cape Fear that piled against the southbound span of the U.S. 701 bridge. Vegetation, trash and just about anything else that might be found in a river or one of its tributaries was floating on or below the surface less than a week after the storm made landfall the morning of Sept. 14.
“We hope to have all of the debris removed in three weeks, then we will send an inspection team to the bridge to inspect,” Andrew Barksdale, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, wrote in an email Monday. “The inspection, which includes using a dive team, will take about a week. Then, we hope to reopen the bridge soon after the inspection is completed. Once open, we’ll work to clean up and reopen the park.”
The date to reopen the bridge has fluctuated since the project began, primarily the result of one of the wettest winters and the safety concerns for using heavy equipment on the river.
When the water is too high, heavy equipment on barges is too dangerous.
Workers will remove the debris that has lodged into the area of the bridge supports under a $1.67 million contract. Later, the fender system — think guardrails that motorists see on land — will be repaired in a $2.9 million project.
Intercoastal Marine won the bidding for both projects.
Barksdale said workers have removed most all of the floating debris and are now getting that which is below the surface, in some cases all the way to the bottom. Some of it, including trees, was there before Florence.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.
Work continues in the last week of March to remove the debris piled against and under the supports of the U.S. 701 bridge.