Traffic alert: Route 778 bridge in Augusta County over Middle River to close Feb. 28

The Route 778 (Knightly Mill Road) bridge over the Middle River in Augusta County was built in 1915 and has reached the end of its service life.

After careful evaluation of the bridge’s structure by the Virginia Department of Transportation, maintenance costs were determined to be unsustainable.

The bridge between New Hope and Weyers Cave will permanently close Wednesday, February 28.

A replacement bridge is tentatively scheduled for construction in 2025. Until then, Route 778 motorists will detour onto the Route 774 (Cline River Road) bridge over the Middle River. The detour route is as follows:

• Route 778 drivers on the north side of the closure (Weyers Cave area) will go north on Route 778, turn right on Route 775 (Craig Shop Road), right on Route 774 (Cline River Road / Piedmont Road) and then right on Route 608 (Battlefield Road) to return to Route 778 and the end of the detour.
• Route 778 drivers on the south side of the closure (New Hope area) will go south on Route 778, turn left on Route 608 (Battlefield Road), left on Route 774 (Piedmont Road / Cline River Road) and then left on Route 775 (Craig Shop Road) to return to Route 778 and the end of the detour.