LAKE LURE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The town of Lake Lure announced this week the beloved Flowering Bridge will be permanently removed because of severe structural damage sustained during Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024.
Following evaluations by two independent engineering firms, officials determined the historic bridge is beyond repair and cannot be restored. The bridge, which served as a cherished community landmark and botanical attraction for more than a decade, will be taken down beginning Aug. 18, town officials said in a social media post.
The demolition contract was awarded to Mitch Contracting, and removal is expected to take several weeks.
For public safety, town officials are urging residents and visitors to avoid the demolition zone entirely, including areas on the east side of the bridge and near the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Education Center. Signage and barriers will be posted throughout the site.
“The Town of Lake Lure recognizes the historical significance of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, and we remain mindful of what it has meant to our community and to the countless visitors who have come to tour it,” town officials said in a social media post. “We can never thank the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge volunteers enough for their dedication and commitment to beautifying the Bridge and the Town of Lake Lure over the years. For over a decade, they worked tirelessly to create a gateway to somewhere beautiful!”
Updates and historical information about the bridge can be found here.
Storm recovery progress
As part of ongoing recovery efforts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — under FEMA direction — has led an extensive cleanup of Lake Lure in partnership with AshBritt Environmental and local contractors.
Since October 2024, crews have worked daily, removing more than 808,000 tons of silt and nearly 97,000 cubic yards of debris from the lake, according to a town update posted Aug. 7.
The lake remains at historically low levels, around 960.5 feet mean sea level, following the installation of a new reservoir drain in April. Town engineers continue to conduct inspections and maintenance during this drawdown period. The timeline for restoring normal lake levels depends on the pace of sediment and debris removal.
For more information on the bridge and storm recovery efforts, click here.
