NC Completes Key Hurricane Helene Bridge Replacement

Key Takeaways

• North Carolina finished its first Hurricane Helene-related express design-build bridge replacement.
• The structure services Baxter Healthcare, the country's largest IV fluid manufacturer.
• The state's western region has more than 80 other bridges to repair or rebuild.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) completed a major Hurricane Helene-related bridge replacement project in the state’s western region.

Located in McDowell County outside the town of Marion, the original bridge on Pitts Station Road over the North Fork Catawba River was destroyed by flooding in late September 2024. The new structure is bigger, wider and stronger, according to NCDOT.

“It is more resilient, built to modern standards with a stronger base and a lower likelihood of debris catching on piers,” the department said in a statement.

The North Fork Catawba River bridge linked a Baxter Healthcare plant to the rest of the world. The company is the nation’s biggest IV fluid and peritoneal dialysis solutions manufacturer and the largest private employer in McDowell County.

The factory had to halt production for almost two months after Helene.

“This bridge is more than concrete and steel,” Kim Effler, McDowell County Chamber of Commerce president, said at an Oct. 3 opening ceremony. “It’s how thousands of people get to work each day to support their families and keep local economies moving.”

The project is the state’s first finished Helene-related express design-build bridge replacement. During construction, Pitts Station Road and the Baxter Healthcare plant was serviced by a temporary modular bridge and access road.

NCDOT is working to replace 82 other bridges in its Highway Division 13, which includes Asheville and the surrounding area. Crews typically replace 10 structures a year.

“Our No. 1 priority over the past year at NCDOT has been to restore transportation and help folks in western North Carolina recover from the most destructive storm in North Carolina history,” NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson said. “What we’ve achieved in restoring our state-maintained system of roads over the past year is nothing short of amazing.”

Sources: North Carolina Department of Transportation, Queen City News