James B. Garrison Bridge, Concrete arch bridge in Stanly County, North Carolina

James B. Garrison Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge spanning across Lake Tillery to connect Stanly and Montgomery Counties. The structure carries traffic on NC 24/27/73 with its series of arches supporting vehicles between the eastern and western shorelines.

The bridge opened in 1927 to replace the earlier Swift Island Ferry Bridge, which was submerged when Lake Tillery was created by Carolina Power and Light. This construction marked an important shift from ferry transportation to a permanent road connection across the water.

The two bridges were dedicated on July 13, 1979, to former North Carolina State Senator James B. Garrison, whose name they carry. The older span, opened in 1927, was renamed alongside the new parallel bridge built that year. Drivers today cross on two lanes of westbound traffic over the 1927 structure and the 1979 span beside it.

The bridge is open daily for vehicle traffic and provides an important crossing point for those traveling between the two counties. You can drive across or stop at nearby viewing areas to take in views of the lake and surrounding landscape.

The 1922 bridge was demolished in stages the Army called the "Battle of Swift Island Bridge": overloading failed, aerial bombing failed, artillery failed, and only 2,000 pounds of explosives at the arch bases brought it down. The lake then covered the remains in 1928.