Bridge Collapse in Newton County

A section of Morrow Road is closed in Newton County after heavy rainfall caused a bridge to collapse, leaving a massive hole in the street. Twin States News spoke with members of the community who say the hole is already causing them problems.

Homeowners close to Morrow Road say that they believe it was at least 8 inches of flood rain covering their lawn:

"I was sitting in the house, and I heard a commotion," said Martin Smith. "That thing right there was way over there, and then this truck tried coming, and it fell in there."

"It's been some years since it flooded like this. I didn't expect it to be that bad. I thought maybe a little washout, but no the whole bridge is gone", explained a community member. "I didn't expect that; it caught me by surprise."

Newton County Emergency Management Director, Robbie Richardson, says it could be weeks before everything is cleaned up:

"The water was completely over the road right here. You can see down each side of the road where the grass is pushed over, and it was just too much for the toll bridge to handle. There was a truck that was actually in the water right there. Luckily, he was not injured. He was able to get out on his own, and some of the sheriff's deputies helped", stated Director Richardson.

Morrow road can take you to Decatur, but with the collapse, people have to take a different route that is about 15 minutes longer.

"It takes a lot of gas to go around it," said Jason Sanders.

"It takes about 15 to 20 minutes; with the cost of gas today, it's not good", explained Sherri Allgood. "It's not good at all."

Director Richardson is advising Newton County residents to stay indoors if possible.