The wooden arches over a pedestrian bridge in downtown Hickory collapsed early Friday morning. The scary situation was caught on camera and released by the City of Hickory on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The city released three surveillance videos from businesses near the bridge, all of which showed the wooden arches crashing to the bridge.
The Rudy Wright bridge crosses over Highway 127 and is a key feature of Hickory's City Walk. Hickory city officials said the arches collapsed shortly after midnight Friday. WCNC Charlotte meteorologist Chris Mulcahy said the Hickory airport reported wind gusts north of 30 mph during the storm.
"We are saddened by this unfortunate event," Mayor Hank Guess said. "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."
The City Walk connects Lenoir-Rhyne University to downtown Hickory. The arches were installed less than a year ago at a price tag of $752,743.66, which was part of a $14 million contract for Hickory's City Walk Project with a company called Neill Grading and Construction.
Neil Grading and Construction told WCNC Charlotte that work on the arches was subcontracted to Oregon-based Western Wood Structures. Western Wood Structures did not respond to requests for comment.
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