The Laurel Creek Gorge Bridge is a continuous steel Plate girder bridge that spans Laurel Creek on Interstate 26/U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 23 between Asheville, North Carolina and Johnson City, Tennessee. It is the second tallest bridge in North Carolina at a height of 220 ft. Construction of the bridge was finished in 2002. Due to its proximity to the higher mountains and its elevation of over 3000', the highway in this area is subject to heavy snow and icing. The bridge also features a special de-icing system which sprays liquid onto the bridge deck during the winter when icing is detected.