The Lindsay C. Warren Bridge that carries U.S. 64 over the Alligator River between North Carolina’s Tyrrell and Dare counties reopened Jaunuary 31 after being closed for several hours when the locking mechanism on the swing-span failed to work, The News & Observer reports.
The bridge was closed after the locking mechanism on the swing-span failed to work. The swing-span appeared to be in the correct position, said North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) spokesman Tim Hass.
However, Hass said, without the locks in place, the agency didn’t want to allow traffic to cross out of concern for safety.
The 3-mile-long, two-lane bridge, which was built in 1962, has a swing-span near the middle to allow boats to pass through, but it is considered to be out of date. It was closed last winter, for a week both times, so contractors could work on the swing-span’s mechanical and electrical systems, which was part of a larger $16.7 million repair project that included a new epoxy deck surface, joint replacements, and concrete structure repairs.