HICKORY, N.C. — Leaders in Hickory are pursuing legal action following the collapse of wooden arches over the Rudy Wright pedestrian bridge from Feb. 18.
Documents obtained by WCNC Charlotte showed a lawsuit was filed Wednesday, April 27, in Catawba County Superior Court. The defendants in the case have been identified as Neill Grading and Construction Company, Dane Construction and Western Wood Structures. City of Hickory is identified as the plaintiff.
According to the complaint, the city is suing the companies for breach of contract and negligence for their work with the arches.
The city is being represented by two attorneys, Carl Burchette and Erik Rosenwood, with Rosenwood, Rose & Litwak, PLLC in Charlotte.
The Rudy Wright pedestrian bridge crosses over Highway 127 and is a key feature of Hickory's City Walk.
The City Walk connects Lenoir-Rhyne University to downtown Hickory. The arches were installed less than a year ago at a price tag of $752,743.66, which was part of a $14 million contract for Hickory's City Walk Project with Neill Grading and Construction.
According to the complaint, Neill subcontracted design, fabrication and installation of the arches to Dane. Dane then included Western Wood to design and fabricate the arches.
The lawsuit says the collapsed arches impacted Main Avenue Bridge, causing it to be closed until March 7 and that it still needs to be repaired. It also states Rudy Wright bridge will also need to be repaired and it remains closed at this time.
You can view the lawsuit below:
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