The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE – The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing concerning improvements to the Smith Creek Bridge on Main Street (Route 60) in Clifton Forge. The meeting will take place Thursday, February 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Clifton Forge Public Library located at 535 Church Street, Clifton Forge.
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. Garrett W. Moore, P.E., 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.
This design-build project replaces the Main Street Bridge (Route 60) over Smith Creek in the town of Clifton Forge. The project is approximately 161-feet long with minimum approach work.
Main Street is one way at this location consisting of two 11-foot westbound travel-lanes and one 11-foot, six-inch wide lane for street side parking. Sidewalks measuring eight-feet to nine-feet wide are on each side of the road.
The current superstructure, which consists of the deck and all elements of the bridge that rest on the piers, is cast-in-place concrete and sits on nine multicolumn piers. The width is fixed at approximately 51-feet, six-inches due to existing buildings constructed adjacent to each side of the bridge.
The proposed new bridge will be in the same location as the existing bridge and will match the same width as the old structure due to existing buildings located next to the bridge.
The new bridge will have three spans with the deck consisting of pre-stressed concrete slab spans or box beams. There will be two 11-foot travel lanes with no shoulders, and a single lane measuring 11-feet, six-inches for street side parking. New sidewalks approximately nine-feet wide will be built on both sides of the bridge.
The current average daily traffic volume is 4,900 vehicles. Of this figure two percent is truck traffic.
The total estimated cost for this project is $6.3 million with $781,000 for preliminary engineering, $718,000 for right of way activities, and $4.8 million for construction. This is a design-build project.
Actions occurring after the public hearing include approval of location and design plans in spring 2010, design-build project anticipated contract award in spring 2011, which includes right of way and construction. Completion of the project is projected for fall 2012.
