The U.S. 701 bridge over the Cape Fear River in Elizabethtown was closed Saturday night for emergency repairs, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
A fast-moving, swollen river after recent rainfall has eroded the concrete wing wall on the south end of the bridge, according to a DOT news release.
A DOT employee noticed the erosion Saturday, prompting the closure as a safety precaution.
The 30-mile detour is sending drivers onto N.C. 53 into White Oak, Tarheel Ferry Road, River Road and N.C. 87.
DOT began repairs Saturday night, including building a coffer dam around the wing wall and pouring concrete. The bridge should reopen by Tuesday, DOT said.
A DOT contractor is constructing a new four-lane U.S. 701 bridge over the Cape Fear River that is scheduled to be completed by May 2024, DOT says.
