It’s the end of the road for a crumbling pedestrian bridge in Concord that stands at the entrance to the ruins of the Stonewall Jackson Training School.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, crews with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin removing the stone bridge on Old Charlotte Road on Monday, citing its deterioration as a danger to drivers.
The removal comes after DOT officials learned of debris falling from the bridge in the fall of 2023. The department inspected the bridge, and said its sign should be taken down and wire meshing installed underneath to catch any additional debris.
NCDOT cultural resources staff also took pictures and measurements of the bridge to share with the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office.
Cabarrus County Parks and Recreation will use granite stones from the bridge in parks around the county, a NCDOT spokesperson told WFAE.
The "Stonewall Jackson School" sign that adorned the bridge has since been relocated to the Office of State Archaeology's Research Center, the spokesperson said.
The bridge is connected to the nearby Stonewall Jackson Training School, which opened in 1909 for juvenile delinquents. Many of the school's historic buildings have been torn down, while others have fallen into serious disrepair, lending a ghostly atmosphere to the area.
Old Charlotte Road will be closed to drivers as crews dismantle the bridge. During the closure, drivers will be detoured along N.C. 49, Stough Road and Roberta Road, returning to Old Charlotte Road. The closure could take several days.
