04/15/2026
🌉 HELENE RECOVERY: NEW BRIDGE DEDICATED IN VALLE CRUCIS
A Valle Crucis neighborhood cut off for weeks after Hurricane Helene finally has its permanent bridge back.
A dedication ceremony was held Monday for the new bridge, replacing the original structure that was swept away when Helene sent the river 25 feet above normal in September 2024. The old bridge, built in 1966, had served the community for decades before floodwaters destroyed it. Neighbors were stranded for more than two weeks, relying on ATVs and farm equipment to get in and out.
The new bridge was built with support from Samaritan's Purse, the international relief organization based in Boone. Edward Graham, grandson of the late Rev. Billy Graham, serves as chief operating officer, overseeing the organization's international and domestic operations. A plaque on the railing reads: "Given in Jesus' Name."
A thank-you plaque credits Sharon Breitenstein, Joe Hollar, Tom Hollar, Greene Construction, Areté, FEMA, and Samaritan's Purse.
The bridge was one of several low-water bridges in Watauga County prone to flooding. Hundreds of similar private road and bridge repair requests remain in the county's Helene recovery pipeline.
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📷 courtesy of Edward Graham/Facebook. Plaque and unoccupied bridge photos: Kenneth Reece/WataugaOnline
