Shelburne Glebe Road will be closed to traffic at the bridge over Goose Creek beginning March 15 for construction of a new bridge, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The roadway and bridge will re-open by August 1, 2004.

Variable message boards will be posted to alert motorists to the closure. Detour signs will also be posted.

Construction crews will replace the one-lane bridge that was installed as a temporary bridge 10 years ago as an emergency measure when the original truss bridge collapsed during a flood. A temporary bridge has a service life of five to 10 years. The one-lane bridge will be replaced with a two-lane structure and wider approaches. The bridge will be approximately 100 feet long and 20 feet wide.

Due to the historic nature of the original bridge, the replacement structure will be a permanent, manufactured truss, similar in appearance to the original. The new structure will be wide enough to meet the needs of emergency vehicles and farm equipment.

DLB, Inc. of Hillsville is the contractor for the $750,000 project.

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Page last modified: March 10, 2004