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The Associated Press

HICKORY, N.C. 鈥� A North Carolina city is suing three companies over the聽collapse of decorative, 40-ton wooden arches聽along a pedestrian walkway in February.

The lawsuit was filed by the city of Hickory in Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, the聽Hickory Daily Record聽reported. It names Neill Grading & Construction Co., Mooresville-based subcontractor Dane Construction and Oregon-based arch manufacturer Western Wood Structures.

The city contends that the 鈥渃ould not and would not have occurred in the absence of negligence by one or more of the defendants.鈥� An official of Neill Grading wasn鈥檛 immediately available for comment on Thursday.

Neill Grading hired Dane Construction to design, build and install the arches. Dane brought in Western Wood Structures for design and construction, according to the lawsuit. Western Wood Structures is based in Tualatin, but has an office in Simpsonville, South Carolina, according to the firm’s website.

The arches were the centerpiece of a pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Hickory called City Walk. They cost about $750,000 and made up about 5 percent of the $14.3 million City Walk contract.

The collapse occurred on Feb. 18, more than six months after installation. Both a pedestrian bridge under the arches and an adjacent bridge for motor vehicles sustained damage.

There had been issues when the second arch was being installed last year after part of the wood had splintered, city officials said. It was repaired using a combination of adhesives, clamps and screws.