UPDATE: The bridge reopened around 1 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13.
TYRRELL and DARE COUNTIES — The Alligator River Bridge may be closed until the morning of Feb. 13, after a concrete beam fell off the back of a truck and blocked the road.
The sheriff’s offices in Tyrrell and Dare counties reported the closure around 2 p.m. Feb. 12.
Originally, Dare County noted that a power line was down and there was an active fire.
The closure of US 64 occurred in Tyrrell County, just west of the bridge. The large concrete beam also fell into a canal.
The highway will be shut down until a crane from Portsmouth, Virginia, can arrive. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said the crane will be from Rocky Mount. Officials estimated that the crane would arrive late Feb. 11 or the morning of Feb. 12.
A detour is set up: one in Columbia for eastbound traffic and one at the US 64/264 junction for westbound traffic in Dare County. NC DOT suggests motorists heading between Tyrrell and Dare counties use 94/264 or US 17 as a detour.
“Crews are working hard to clear it up as soon as possible,” the Dare County Sheriff’s Office said.
This story is developing, and we will update it as new information becomes available.
