VDOT schedules hearing for Route 522 bridge project in Frederick County

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing concerning the replacement of the Opequon Creek Bridge on Route 522 (Front Royal Pike) in Frederick County.

The meeting will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at Armel Elementary School, 2239 Front Royal Pike, Winchester.

Citizens can come in during the meeting hours and discuss the project on a one-on-one basis with VDOT officials and designers. Written comments can be submitted at the meeting or within 10 days after the meeting date to Mr. James Johnston, P.E., Project Manager. Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA  24401-9029. Oral comments can be recorded at the meeting with the assistance of a court reporter.

The southbound Route 522 (Front Royal Pike) Opequon Creek Bridge in eastern Frederick County has reached the end of its service life.  Built in 1953, the two-lane bridge is considered functionally obsolete. Functionally obsolete means a structure was designed with older design features that no longer meet current geometrics or modern traffic needs. This designation has no connection to condition rating, but is based on functionality.

The new bridge will have two lanes and will be in the same location and be about a foot higher and will be widened slightly on its eastern side. The new structure will have steel girders and a concrete deck. The approaches on either side of the bridge will be widened and new guardrail will be installed. A six-foot wide paved shoulder will be provided on the right side of the new bridge.

During construction a temporary detour will route southbound traffic through median crossovers to the northbound bridge over Opequon Creek. The northbound bridge will have one lane of traffic in each direction during the construction period.

This 0.452-mile long project extends from 0.85-mile north of Route 642 to 0.05-mile north of Route 644.

In 2016 Route 522 had an average daily traffic count of 17,000 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2043 the estimated average daily traffic volume is 26,000 vehicles per day.

The total estimated cost for this project is $5.4 million, including $825,000 for preliminary engineering and $4.6 million for construction. The Route 522 Opequon Creek Bridge project has state and federal funding.

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