Lake Lure officials announced Thursday that the town's cherished Flowering Bridge will be removed due to damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene.

Town records show the bridge was built for cars in 1925 over the Broad River, and was acquired by the town in 2010 after the completion of a bridge on the adjacent Memorial Highway. The nonprofit Friends Lake Lure Flowering Bridge took over its operation in 2011. The first plants were planted in 2013, and the grand opening was held that October.

Severe damage from Helene led engineers to declare the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge beyond repair, but volunteers say the garden’s legacy will live on.