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VDOT marks milestone on Albemarle County bridge project

Chris Graham
road construction
(© jhansen2 – stock.adobe.com)

A VDOT contractor rehabilitating the Route 708 bridge over the North Fork Hardware River in Albemarle County is marking a milestone: the first half of the bridge is nearly complete.

Beginning Thursday, traffic will shift to the newly completed portion of the bridge. A temporary signal will continue to control the intersection of Route 708 (Red Hill Road) and Route 20 (Scottsville Road).

After the traffic shift, work will begin on the second half of the bridge. The expected completion date is Dec. 5.

The structure is located on Red Hill Road at the intersection with Scottsville Road, north of the Town of Scottsville.

The bridge was built in 1959 and was found to be deteriorating.

Once complete, the restored bridge will include a wider foundation. New steel beams will support the superstructure and drivers will enjoy a fresh concrete deck riding surface. The improved bridge will feature wider travel lanes with standard concrete railings.

Work began on this $4.9 million State of Good Repair project in November with a speed limit reduction. Shortly after, crews reduced traffic to one lane on Red Hill Road and installed the temporary three-way traffic signal at the intersection with Scottsville Road.

The latest available data reports about 9,000 vehicles use Route 20 in that area daily.

More information about this project can be found on VDOT’s website at Route 708 bridge over North Fork Hardware River, Albemarle County | Virginia Department of Transportation.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].