Crash Closes Bridge

HARRISONBURG — A crash Sunday forced transportation officials to close a Rockingham County bridge indefinitely.

 

A bridge on North River Road, near Friedens Church Road, in Mount Crawford was closed after a vehicle struck the span, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

 

VDOT says the bridge sustained unspecified damage. It’s not clear what part of the bridge was struck, specifically, or how serious the damage is.

 

Sgt. Les Tyler of the Virginia State Police said details of the crash were not available as of press time. However, he said, details would be released today.

 

VDOT’s Staunton District structure-and-bridge engineer will develop a plan to repair the span.

 

Officials say a reopening date has not been set, but a timeline for repairs will be announced in the near future.

 

Sunday’s closure of the North River Road bridge is the second time a bridge has been closed because of a crash in the last year or so.

 

In October 2011, a crash forced the closure of the Airport Road bridge in Mount Crawford.

 

VDOT plans to replace the structure with a $4.2 million, two-lane bridge within the next two years.

 

Contact Pete DeLea at 574-6278 or pdelea@dnronline.com