Another bridge in Albemarle County is facing an over-haul. Wednesday night, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) held a public hearing to talk about replacing a bridge on Route 616, also known as Black Cat Road.
VDOT said the bridge that crosses the Buckingham Branch Railroad track is substandard and needs to be replaced. It's a project that is estimated to cost $3.76 million.
The timber-deck bridge was built in 1947 and has a three ton weight limit prohibiting some emergency vehicles and large trucks from crossing over it. VDOT wants to build a wider bridge that will include two 11-foot travel lanes and five-foot shoulders.
Stacy Londrey is a spokesperson for VDOT and said the bridge will also be raised to give more clearance for trains using the tracks below.
"This is one that just needs to be brought up to the current VDOT standards and national standards for lane width and just to improve the condition of the bridge. It is aging," Londrey said.
About 800 vehicles use Route 616 each day. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2014 and be completed the following summer.
Written comments can be submitted by August 6, 2012 to Brian Arnold, the Project Manager. Just send those to 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, VA 22701.
