We received a one line message yesterday from the EMS saying that the Shallowford Bridge is permanently closed.
To get to the side of the bridge across from Aska Road, you will now have to either go to the end of Aska Road, turn left, cross the river at Dial, and turn left on Old Dial Road, going past the Sandy Bottoms canoe launch and the river gauging station. Then at the Y where Old Dial Road goes off toward Morganton, you would turn left again to get to the bridge.
A longer way around would be to turn off on Old Dial Road south of Morganton, off Hwy 60, and follow it all the way.
Our previous chairman, Stan Helton, was trying to save it, in part because it was historic, in part because he worked on it as a boy. Here’s that column, which has some additional information on the bridge.
http://clydeholler.net/a-call-from-the-chairman-on-the-shallowford-bridge/
The state is planning to build a new bridge at some point, but I don’t know when. In the meantime, life will be inconvenient for people with cabins on that side of the river, as well as for fishermen wanting to fish the delayed harvest.