Temporary bridge will allow NC to reopen a popular state park closed since Helene
Chimney Rock State Park will reopen this summer after the N.C. Department of Transportation builds a temporary bridge to replace one that was washed away by floodwaters last September.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene sent the swollen Rocky Broad River though the village of Chimney Rock, cutting off access to the popular park and damaging or destroying several businesses along Main Street that catered to visitors.
NCDOT and its contractors will build the temporary span near the site of an old truss bridge that once provided access to homes along Southside Drive and was also washed away. The temporary bridge will connect Main Street (U.S. 64/74A) with both Southside Drive and Chimney Rock Park Road.
NCDOT hopes to have the bridge open by Memorial Day. The state Division of Parks and Recreation expects to have the park ready whenever contractors finish the bridge, said spokeswoman Kris Anne Bonifacio.
“We are encouraged by their estimate and look forward to welcoming visitors back to the park soon,” Bonifacio wrote in an email.
The washed-out bridge wasn’t the only damage to the park, which drew more than 414,000 visitors in 2023. Landslides blocked the park road, and railings and retaining walls needed repair. Heavy rain flooded the elevator that carries visitors 26 stories from the parking lot to the Sky Lounge viewing area.
“We are working through these repairs and projects now,” Bonifacio said.
Two state parks remain closed because of Helene
A permanent bridge to Chimney Rock State Park will take years to complete. NCDOT has chosen a location just west of the original. The new bridge will connect with Chimney Rock Park Road from a new roundabout on Main Street where the Old Rock Café stood before the flood.
Construction is not expected to begin until 2026, after U.S. 64/74A has been rebuilt along the river between Chimney Rock and Bat Cave.
Chimney Rock is one of two state parks that remain closed in Western North Carolina because of Helene, both because of lack of access. The other is Mount Mitchell State Park, which is cut off from the outside world because of landslides on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
South Mountains State Park in Burke County was also closed for months. One section opened last month, and the main entrance will reopen Thursday, though some trails will remain off limits as repairs continue.
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