Main Street bridge in Waynesboro to open Friday

The new Main Street bridge over the South River in Downtown Waynesboro is scheduled to open Friday, June 9. Drivers using Main Street between Race Avenue and East Avenue have followed a detour route since February 2016, but the detour will be lifted when the bridge opens to traffic. All work is weather permitting.

The new South River bridge replaces a 1934 structure that was restricted to vehicles weighing no more than 15 tons. The new bridge will be open to all legal loads. It was constructed with innovative corrosion-resistant steel beams designed to extend its life. The bridge has two 12-foot travel lanes, two 6-foot bicycle lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway to improve pedestrian access.

The Virginia Department of Transportation worked with the city of Waynesboro on design features that complement the city’s downtown, the nearby Broad Street bridge and the adjacent Constitution Park. Lighting on the underside of both bridges illuminates a recently completed portion of Waynesboro’s South River Greenway trail.

The Main Street bridge project also included the relocation of McElroy Street, which ran through the center of Constitution Park between Main Street and Short Street. The new road (renamed Race Avenue) is 200 feet further west, reclaiming green space within the park.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $7 million construction contract to Fairfield-Echols LLC of Fishersville. The contract completion date is December 2017, which allows time for additional landscaping work this fall.

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at www.511Virginia.org.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can assist with reporting road hazards, asking transportation questions, or getting information related to Virginia’s roads. Call 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623) or use its mobile friendly website at my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.