VDOT to hold public meeting on Interstate 64 Maury River bridge project

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting concerning upcoming construction and traffic patterns for the Interstate 64 bridges over the Maury River and Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County.  The meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at Rockbridge High School, 143 Greenhouse Road, Lexington, VA 24450.

Citizens can come in during the meeting hours and discuss the project on a one-on-one basis with VDOT officials and project managers.  Displays and handouts will be available showing the traffic patterns within the work zone, traffic management plans and project objectives.

During construction of the I-64 eastbound Maury River bridge, both directions of traffic will use the I-64 westbound Maury River bridge.  During construction of the westbound bridge, both directions of traffic will use the eastbound bridge.  Crossovers will be placed in the median to switch traffic.  The speed limit will be 55 miles-per-hour at this location.  Each bridge closure will last approximately 12 months.

On January 15, 2014 the Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a contract valued at $12.9 million to Orders Construction Company, Inc. of St. Albans, WV for the rehabilitation of the I-64 Maury River and Kerrs Creek bridges.  The estimated completion date is fall 2016.

The Interstate 64 bridges over the Maury River and Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County were designed in 1969 in built in 1976. These two bridges carry eastbound and westbound traffic on I-64 in the Lexington area. The bridges have a steel frame support and are called delta frame bridges. This is due to the shape of the structural steel support frame, which is an inverted triangle or Greek letter delta.

This project will rehabilitate the two bridges by repairing the structural steel frames, and replacing the deck, reconstructing abutments and providing slope work protection.

In September 2013 the project earned an $11.9 million federal grant under the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. The grant program aims to protect critical transportation infrastructure while connecting communities and fostering growth in the regional economy. I-64 is vital to freight traffic, providing the only interstate connection between Hampton Roads ports and the western Virginia markets and the United States.

Completion of this rehabilitation project will allow the bridges to remain open in the coming years and extend their life-cycle by 50 years.  Over $20 million is saved on this project due to rehabilitation of the bridges rather than replacing them.

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

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

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