Body of bridge worker who fell into Lake Hickory recovered near Hickory
Site of bridge work where drowning occurred WBTV
By Mark Price
msprice@charlotteobserver.com
Rescue crews have located the body of a construction worker who fell off a bridge project into Lake Hickory early Tuesday, according to the Observer’s news partner, WBTV.
The man, identified by coworkers as Filigonio Perez Bravo of Guatemala, was painting the bridge over the lake on Highway 127 when he fell, WBTV reported.
Co-workers say they were using fencing material for the platform along the side of the bridge, and were supposed to be wearing flotation vests and safety harnesses. The worker who fell in was wearing a safety harness, but coworkers say his harness was not hooked up to the safety line. He also was not wearing a flotation vest, WBTV reported.
Witnesses say the Bravo was pulling fencing material down when he fell back and into the water, WBTV said.
Hickory city officials say one or more coworkers went into the water after Bravo, but were unable to locate him. It happened at 1:53 a.m.. Tuesday on the North Center Street bridge over the Catawba River at Lake Hickory. The bridge, just north of Hickory, connects Catawba and Alexander counties.
The victim is reportedly an employee of an independent contractor working on the bridge project, and not a staff member of the N.C. Department of Transportation, officials said. The NCDOT awarded a $4.4 million contract to Astron General Contracting Company Inc. of Jacksonville to clean and paint many bridges in NC.
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CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. -- Emergency crews are investigating a drowning in Catawba County Tuesday morning.
Officials said a construction worker fell off a bridge into Lake Hickory around 1:30 a.m. and never resurfaced.The incident happened on North Center Street bridge between Hickory and Taylorsville.
Firefighters were told that that an employee who was working on the bridge fell into the water. Additional employees went in the water to locate the worker; but were not successful, authorities said.
Emergency crews are working to pull the body from the water.
No more details have been released.
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CATAWBA COUNTY, NC – The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the early morning drowning of an NCDOT worker under the Highway 127 bridge over the Catawba river to Alexander County.
Sheriff Coy Reid said his deputies first responded to the scene at approximately 1:50 a.m. The workers were working underneath the bridge at the time.
“One worker went down to pull something loose, and he fell into the water,” Reid said. “Another worker dived in to try and grab him, but he couldn’t find him.”
The name of the victim has not yet been released, but Reid said he worked for Astron General Contracting, Inc.
Reid said the recovery effort has been underway since first response.
Hickory Fire Department, Hickory Rescue Squad, Catawba EMS, Alexander Rescue Squad and the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office are assisting in the search. Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue has deployed their sonar unit to assist in the search.
A press release from Hickory Fire additionally lists the Bethlehem Fire Department, Lovelady Rescue, Catawba County Emergency Management, Alexander Co. Emergency Management, Hickory Police, N.C. Department of Wildlife and the Red Cross as responding agencies.
The Hickory Daily Record will update this story as details become available.
DOT still painting 127 bridge, should be finished in another month
ROBERT C. REED
ROBERT C. REED/RECORD: The Highway 127 bridge over the Catawba River is currently being re-painted by the NC DOT. The project is expected to be completed in about a month.
Posted: Saturday, August 6, 2016 4:11 pm | Updated: 12:14 pm, Mon Aug 8, 2016.
By Kevin Griffin kgriffin@hickoryrecord.com
HICKORY – The North Carolina Department of Transportation is still painting the Highway 127 bridge between Catawba and Alexander counties.
The process includes sandblasting and then applying new paint to the bridge, John Crane, a DOT quality control inspector at the work site, said.
The work began about month ago and should continue for about another month, Crane said.
Earlier in the process, lanes were closed as the workers set up the containment and the support systems they would need in place in order to paint.
Going forward, there may be some delays and lane closures but these should not have much impact on rush hour traffic, Crane said.
Bridges require painting to minimize the effects of corrosion. Painting a bridge can extend its lifespan by 10 to 15 years, NC DOT Bridge Division Manager Steve Rackley said.
As inspectors notice rust on bridges, they can suggest setting up projects to paint in order to increase a bridge's lifespan, Rackley said.
Businesses in the area said while there was some congestion things have been progressing rather smoothly since.
“One or two days it was backed up, but other than that it's not too bad. They're getting them in and out fairly quickly,” Tyler Hubbard, a clerk at the Honey Pik store on the Catawba County side of the bridge said.
“We’re aware of what’s going on. We’re glad to see the maintenance,” Hickory Public Services Director Chuck Hansen said.
The city has not gotten any calls about issues with the traffic, Hansen said.
The project is a DOT operation although the city did have a role in adjusting some waterlines, Hansen said.
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NCDOT Awards $4.4 Million for Bridge Rehabilitation Projects in Cleveland, Catawba, Gaston, Iredell and Lincoln Counties
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
RALEIGH, NC — The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $4.4 million contract to Astron General Contracting Company Inc. of Jacksonville to clean and paint seven bridges in Cleveland County, four bridges in Catawba County, three each in Gaston and Iredell counties, and two in Lincoln County. The project can begin between May 15 and July 1 and be completed up to 502 days after the starting date.
These projects are part of the NCDOT’s $450 million state-funded bridge plan for 2011-13, which invests in preserving, repairing or replacing bridges statewide.
“Our bridge preservation program allows our transportation network meet the needs of businesses and industry,” said NCDOT Division 12 Engineer Mike Holder.
The following bridges will be preserved in Cleveland County:
· On N.C. 182 over the First Broad River in Lawndale;
· On N.C. 150 (Gaffney Road) over the First Broad River in Shelby;
· On N.C. 18 over U.S. 74/N.C. 226 in Shelby;
· On N.C. 150 (Cherryville Road) over Buffalo Creek in Stubbs;
· On U.S. 74 East and West over the First Broad River in Shelby; and
· On Morgan Street over U.S. 74 in Shelby.
The following bridges will be preserved in Catawba County:
· On N.C. 16 over U.S. 70 in Hickory;
· On N.C. 10 over the Catawba River in Startown;
· On N.C. 127 over the Catawba River in Hickory; and
· On N.C. 150 over the Seaboard Coastline railroad near Sherrills Ford.
The following bridges will be preserved in Gaston County:
· On N.C. 275 over the Catawba River in Gastonia;
· On U.S. 29/74 over the Southern Railway in Lowell; and
· On Aberdeen Boulevard over Interstate 85 in Gastonia.
The following bridges will be preserved in Iredell County:
· On Triplett Road over Third Creek in Statesville;
· On Sharon School Road over I-40 in Statesville; and
· On I-40 East over Fifth Creek in Statesville.
The following bridges will be preserved in Lincoln County:
· On N.C. 150 over the South Fork of the Catawba River in Lincolnton; and
· On N.C. 73 over the Catawba River nears Cowans Ford.
The bridges will be cleaned and the supports painted with epoxy paint. If needed, the bridge joints and bearings will be replaced. This type of work helps keep the bridges in good condition to extend their life.
This is one of 27 contracts totaling $106.9 million awarded by NCDOT in March for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 5.3 percent, or $5.9 million, below NCDOT estimates.