Greene County: Route 638 bridge replacement completed 11 weeks ahead of schedule

The new bridge over the South River on Route 638 (Turkey Ridge Road) in Greene County reopened to traffic on Friday, 11 weeks ahead of schedule.

The river crossing had been closed since April 24 for replacement of the steel deck, timber truss bridge that was built in 1932.

The new structure was built by Burleigh Construction Co. Inc. of Concord under a $1,340,998.90 contract with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The scheduled completion date was Dec. 15.

The new structure is a two-lane, pre-cast concrete structure that will carry all legal weight vehicles. The project was a complete bridge replacement, which included construction of new concrete support abutments.

Approximately 155 vehicles use the river crossing every day, according to VDOT traffic counts. During the closure residents on Turkey Ridge and Bull Yearling roads made a lengthy detour using Route 230 and U.S. 33 through the Town of Stanardsville for their daily travels.