Tryon wants to beautify Erskine Bridge coming into town

TRYON—The Town of Tryon wants to beautify its entrance into town from Columbus. 

Tryon Town Council met last week and heard from town manager Zach Ollis on work planned for Erskine Bridge, located along Highway 108 near the town limit line at the Carolina Yarn Processing pond. 

Ollis said he spoke with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which has to give approval for improvements to the bridge. He said the NCDOT had questions about the sidewalks and their width and were supposed to get back to the town within a week or two. 

Commissioner Crys Armbrust asked when Ollis anticipates the project will break ground. Ollis said hopefully the project can get started in the next two to three months. 

Ollis also said originally the town intended on sidewalks on one side and is looking into lighting options. There is also a culvert at the edge of the road that will have to be repaired. 

Ollis aid this week that council wants to take out the barriers, which are concrete and look bad, and build a nice entry into town. The town is also looking into pulling ivy out and may put up nice light posts at the bridge. Ollis said he’d like to see rock at the bridge as well as a sign that matches the same rock face as downtown’s clock tower. 

“I’d like to have the sign coming in and that bridge and the clock tower with the same type of rock face,” Ollis said Thursday. “That is our goals this year, is to get that bridge looking pretty. I’d like people coming from Columbus to see a beautiful sign, a beautiful bridge and come into a beautiful town.” 

No estimates have been received yet on the beautification plan. The town engineer has taken plans to the NCDOT for the state’s approval. It is also not known how old Erskine Bridge is, but Ollis said there are pictures of the bridge at town hall from likely the 1920s or 1930s. 

“My goal in the next couple of years is to have all the signs coming into town renovated and have nice rock features,” Ollis said. 

He said first impressions matter and he wants to make sure when people come to Tryon they know that officials take pride in the town that they have.