Bridge closed by flooding creates 25-mile detour in Harnett County

By Adam Owens, WRAL anchor/reporter

Lillington, N.C. — Despite the sunshine on Saturday, families and communities across central North Carolina are still dealing with flooding from Thursday’s storms.

Footage from the sky show neighborhoods still covered in water and people walking through waist-high water levels.

Among the hundreds of roads still closed statewide is a bridge in Harnett County – and the detour to get around it is more than 25 miles long.

The rising waters of the Upper Little River at the Highway 27 bridge separates a family, who live on opposite sides of the bridge.

Vida Ross, Lillington Resident, said the family normally has to cross the bridge to get to their aunt’s house.

“It is an inconvenience, but we live around here and we have gotten used to it,” she said.

She said everytime they get heavy rain, the bridge floods out.

“What would normally take you 10 to 15 minutes is probably going to go to about 30, 45 minutes,” said Ragan Taylor, another resident.

She said, “Mother nature is pretty incredible.”

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said the river is now receding, and the water never topped the driving deck – but the bridge must be inspected before it can be reopened.

That could take a day or two.​

Another storm, another waiting game – for the river to back down.