FREDERICKSBURG – A bridge on Route 658 (Mount Olive Road) at the Hanover and Spotsylvania county line will be closed to traffic beginning Friday, March 20, after a bridge inspection today found cracking in key support elements.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) determined the single-lane bridge should be closed for motorist safety. The bridge was posted with a 6 ton vehicle weight restriction.
Bridge inspections were being performed on the bridge every 6 months. In most cases, bridges are inspected once a year or once every 2 years.
“Cracking identified today was not present at the last bridge inspection in September 2014,” said Annette Adams, P.E., VDOT Structure and Bridge Engineer, Fredericksburg District. “The crack is located on a key element that supports the bridge’s beams and deck. Consequently, we must close the bridge as quickly as possible to protect travelers.”
No re-opening date is immediately available. A $2.5 million bridge replacement project in the Six-Year Improvement Program is scheduled to be advertised for construction in 2020.
The bridge was built in 1943. It is a timber deck bridge with steel beams. The bridge was previously posted with a 14 ton vehicle weight restriction, before being downgraded to a 6 ton restriction.
Temporary detour signs will be posted to guide travelers along the detour route. Permanent detour signs are being fabricated, and will be posted in several weeks.
A map of the detour route is posted on VDOT’s website at:
http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/Fredericksburg/Route_658_Detour_Map.pdf
Southbound motorists traveling from Spotsylvania County should use the following detour route:
- Route 738 (Partlow Road)
- Route 622 (Fairview Road)
- Route 601 (Arritt Road/Greenes Corner Road)
- Route 715 (Beaver Dam Road)
Northbound motorists traveling from Hanover County should use the following detour route:
- Route 715 (Beaver Dam Road)
- Route 601 (Arritt Road/Greenes Corner Road)
- Route 622 (Fairview Road)
- Route 738 (Partlow Road)
Approximately 580 vehicles a day cross the bridge, according to a VDOT traffic count.
Additional information about VDOT’s bridge inspection program and individual bridge conditions are posted online at www.virginiaDOT.org.