ASHE COUNTY, N.C. — A historic bridge along the Blue Ridge Parkway is being replaced, but officials say it could take more than two years for work to be completed.
What You Need To Know
- The Laurel Fork Bridge is being replaced
- The project could take more than two years to complete
- It is a $29 million project
The 546 feet long and 28 feet wide bridge was constructed in 1939. Workers on site say they're removing all stone work and marking where it came from so when they put it back, the new bridge could look exactly the same.
It's a project that is projected to cost over $29 million.
The detour caused by construction on the new Laurel Fork Bridge has some, however, celebrating just 8 miles down the road.
"It's definitely something that needs to be done," Phaedra Boardman said.
Boardman loves being the first face you see when you enter The Bluffs. She asks each person where they're from and why they came.
"We have a lot of people that came from Atlanta last week that must be traveling in. We have a lot from Glendale Springs that are local," Boardman said.
The nostalgic restaurant brings in people from all over, and it's an experience because of the history.
The Bluff's first opened in 1949. It shut down for a decade, but after raising money and doing a renovation, it reopened in 2020.
"The floor is the same. The table's are replicas of what it use to be and the bar, they did a great job on the bar," Boardman said.
They worked hard to make it look exactly the same as it did 70 years ago.
"We hope that they come and enter the detour and come up and see us," Boardman said.