Lake Lure Flowering Bridge photo
A photo of the bridge, after the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
The article below originally appeared in and is posted with permission from:
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The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a beloved landmark in western North Carolina, will be demolished starting Aug. 18, 2025, due to the impact caused in 2024 by Hurricane Helene.
The historic structure, built in 1925, sustained severe damage during the tropical storm. It was inundated with debris that flowed down the Rocky Broad River as the raging waters picked up homes, vehicles, trees and mud before eventually depositing most of it in the town's namesake lake.
After thorough assessments by two independent engineering firms, it was determined that the bridge is beyond repair and cannot be restored, according to an Aug. 7 Lake Lure town notice.
After a competitive bidding process, Lake Lure municipal officials awarded the bridge demolition contract to Mitch Contracting in nearby Mill Spring, N.C. The process will likely take several weeks, the Asheville Citizen Times reported Aug. 11.
"The town of Lake Lure recognizes the historical significance of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, and we remain mindful of what it has meant to our community and to the countless visitors who have come to tour it," the notice said. "We can never thank the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge volunteers enough for their dedication and commitment to beautifying the bridge and the town of Lake Lure over the years. For over a decade, they worked tirelessly to create a gateway to somewhere beautiful."
Local officials are urging the public to avoid the demolition site, including the areas on both sides of the bridge and near the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Education Center.
Located in Rutherford County, 30 mi. southeast of Asheville, both the town and the lake are nestled within the Hickory Nut Gorge, a 14-mi.-long canyon through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Lake Lure Still Has Much Work Ahead to Restore Community
The three-arch bridge carried traffic between Lake Lure and Chimney Rock for 85 years. When it was decommissioned in 2011, a volunteer group formed a nonprofit to care for the structure.
Twelve themed gardens were planted in raised beds across the 155-ft. arched span in 2013, the year it was dedicated. Since then, the bridge became one of the more-visited attractions in that part of the state, drawing more than 180,000 visitors a year.
In a statement on the bridge's website, volunteers said they are "heartbroken" over the need to demolish the bridge but not defeated. The education center survived the storm with "minimal damage," but the surrounding infrastructure and parking lot must be completely replaced and restored.
"With your generosity, we can recover and get back to work," the post read. "Together, we can revive this beautiful garden destination for residents and guests from around the world to enjoy for generations to come."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the ongoing removal of silt and debris removal around the site; so far, the agency and its subcontractors have hauled away 808,570 tons of material, according to the latest Lake Lure update. However, the water level in the lake remains the lowest it has been since it was built in the mid-1920s.
In an Aug. 7 statement, Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett said that the bridge was far from the only thing in her town severely impacted by Helene's rampage.
"Unfortunately, Lake Lure's nearly 100-year-old utilities infrastructure [sanitary sewer systems and wastewater treatment plant], in addition to our dam, town hall, welcome center and municipal buildings, the Washburn Marina and floating boardwalk, the lake itself, surrounding roadways and vehicular bridges were also significantly damaged by the devastating hurricane and flooding," she said.
Pritchett also noted that town officials have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), applying for grants, working with local and state representatives to obtain funding and using existing capital from the community's budget to restore its vital resources.
"We have made remarkable progress with the support of FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their contractors," she said. "Through their monumental efforts, we are hopeful to be able to reopen the lake in the spring of 2026."
Though the lake remains closed, the town itself is welcoming visitors back following the hurricane, the Asheville new source reported.
"The town of Lake Lure is open for business right now and we are surrounded by beauty and so many enjoyable things to do," said Pritchett.
Chimney Rock State Park, a major draw for the area and located just west of Lake Lure, reopened to visitors in June following an extensive cleanup and repair effort as a result of the storm damage. In 2023, the park saw more than 400,000 visitors.
