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ELIZABETHTOWN – The U.S. 701 northbound bridge in Bladen County will remain closed while the N.C. Department of Transportation identifies a plan to repair damage to the substructure caused by Hurricane Florence floodwaters.

The NCDOT closed the bridge spanning the Cape Fear River on Thursday for an inspection. Today, the department’s engineers determined soils weakened by Hurricane Florence have caused an interior bridge pier to shift. As a safety precaution, the department will keep the bridge closed until engineers develop a plan for fixing the pier.

In general terms, the interior pier forms the substructures and pile foundation that supports the girders and riding deck.

Once a plan is developed for the repair, the department can establish a schedule for reopening the bridge.

In the meantime, northbound traffic will remain shifted onto the two-lane southbound bridge, which will operate in a two-way traffic pattern during the closure.