James B. Garrison Bridge

The James B. Garrison Bridge are two automobile bridges spanning the Pee Dee River/Lake Tillery, between Stanly and Montgomery Counties. The bridges carry NC 24/NC 27/NC 73.

The first bridge was opened on December 28, 1922, entirely in reinforced concrete; it was 1,068.7 feet in length and 18.0 feet in width. The bridge consisted of three 146.2-foot arches and was built at a cost of approximately $186 thousand, it replaced the Swift's Island Ferry service, which the bridge was named after. In 1926, Carolina Power & Light began construction of the Tillery Hydroelectric Plant; the dam built in conjunction with the plant would establish a new lake , but would also submerge the bridge. As a result, Carolina Power & Light funded the construction of a new bridge that was overseen by the state. When the new bridge opened in 1927, the original bridge was closed and slated to be razed. In what became known as the "Battle of Swift Island Bridge," the US Army made several different attempts to destroy the bridge: first by overloading with weight, second by aerial bombing and third by artillery. The fourth attempt was finally successful after placing 2,000 pounds of explosives, placed at the bases of the structure, detonating the bridge. In 1928 the lake formed, submerging what little remained of the first bridge.

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