Tides Mill Bridge closing for upgrades
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- Published on Wednesday, 31 October 2012 15:46
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Tides Mill Bridge on State Route 205 (Ridge Road) at Wilkerson’s Restaurant in Colonial Beach will be closed for upgrades from Nov. 1 until Feb. 28. Residents and visitors will be detoured through Route 631 (Longfield Road).
The detour is seven miles if traveling from one side of the bridge to the other, so the detour may be shorter depending on where motorists depart from and their destination.
VDOT has already installed a traffic signal on Route 205 at the intersection of Longfield Road near the race track. There is no light at 205 and 631 on the King George side but electronic signs have already been placed at both intersections to alert drivers to the detour.
Colonial Beach officials have attempted to hold off the closing until after the Rockfish Tournament scheduled for Nov. 2–4, but VDOT officials said that the contractor, Bryant Construction, is performing five months worth of work in four months and the deadline will not allow them to complete the project on time if there are any delays in closing the bridge.
The plan is to remove the existing roadway from the bridge. Using the existing supports and adding more support, a new surface will be added. The bridge will be elevated approximately two feet and widened to 30 feet, with three foot shoulders on each side.
The project cost for the bridge upgrade is $3,700,000, over $1,300,000 of which covers the contract with Bryant Construction.
Bryant Construction is under a strict time schedule of four months; VDOT officials have worked with Bryant before and are confident that they will finish on schedule.
During the bridge closure, Route 631 will be maintained as a primary road with regards to snow removal and other weather related issues.
Linda Farneth
