ELLERBE — Another overpass bridge is being dedicated to a Richmond County native with a record of service to the state and nation.
Sen. Tom McInnis and the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Friday that the exit 28 bridge off of U.S. 220 will be named in honor of Col. Jack Cardwell.
“I am highly honored to be able to participate in the naming of the exit 28 bridge in memory of Col. Jack Cardwell,” McInnis said in a statement.. “Col. Cardwell was a respected member of the Ellerbe community as well as the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
“The dedication of this bridge in memory of Col. Cardwell will continue his legacy in the Ellerbe area for many years to come,” he added.
Cardwell joined the Highway Patrol after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, according to McInnis’ office. Cardwell worked his way up the ranks from trooper to colonel, was appointed commander by Gov. Jim Martin in 1985 and served in that position until 1989. He died 10 years later.
According to the DOT, the state legislature, at the request of McInnis, last year passed a bill dedicating the Millstone Road bridge as the “Colonel Jack F. Cardwell Bridge.”
The ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7 at the Ellerbe Lions Club Building, 306 Millstone Road.
Local NCDOT board member Patrick Molamphy will join McInnis as a speaker.
Local elected officials and family members are expected to attend.
Last year, through the urging of the Mineral Springs Improvement Council, another overpass was named after former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Henry Frye, also an Ellerbe native.
