Contributed
The N.C. Department of Transportation will join tribe officials and other guests to dedicate the newly constructed Old Lake Road overpass spanning U.S. 74/76 near Lake Waccamaw on Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. at Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Center, 7239 Old Lake Road, Bolton.
Known as the “People of the Falling Star,” the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe received state recognition in 1971, and it incorporated as a tax-exempt nonprofit in 1977. The tribe has membership with the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs. Today, the tribe has almost 1,800 registered members, mostly living in Bladen and Columbus counties.
According to tribe lore, a meteor plunged to the earth, smashing the ground and forming Lake Waccamaw, which has 14 miles of shoreline, making it the largest natural freshwater lake in North Carolina.
Last year, the N.C. General Assembly passed an NCDMV session bill that also directed the NCDOT to dedicate this bridge after the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe. The bridge, which opened to traffic late last year, replaced a reduced conflict intersection with U.S. 74/76. It was part of a larger, $44 million construction project to construct an interchange at nearby Chauncey Town Road at the same highway outside the town of Lake Waccamaw.
Author: staff report
About Author
