LILLINGTON – The N.C. Department of Transportation closed the N.C. 27 bridge over the Upper Little River southwest of Lillington this afternoon because of rising floodwaters.
The department will monitor the river levels and the bridge until the floodwaters recede, which is expected to occur sometime next week. The department will reopen the bridge after an inspection is performed.
At 2 p.m. today, the river had reached the girders just below the driving deck – the threshold for closing it to traffic as a precaution. It's not clear whether any floodwaters will top the bridge.
Because other nearby roads also have closures due to this week's heavy rainfall, the detour for N.C. 27 is about 27 miles long, so people should plan ahead and expect delays using this route:
- If coming from Lillington: Take N.C. 210 South, turn right onto Anderson Creek School Road, right onto Lemuel Black Road, right onto Nursey Road, left onto Docs Road, returning to N.C. 27.
- If coming from the Barbecue community, follow the detour in reverse.