The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE – The Virginia Department of Transportation held a public meeting concerning the replacing of the Main Street bridge over Smith Creek, Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Clifton Forge Public Library.
The meeting was well attended by downtown local merchants and other business and town officials.
The estimated cost of replacing the bridge is $6.3 million and the project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012.
The estimated project cost includes $781,000 for engineering of the roadway plans; $718,000 for right-of-way acquisition, relocation assistance and utility relocation; and the construction cost of $4.8 million.
The anticipated schedule has been proposed: anticipated approval of location and design plans is spring 2010; design-build project anticipated award (includes right of way and construction) spring of 2011; and completion in fall 2012.
VDOT reports the purpose of replacing the bridge is to replace a deteriorating bridge which has reached the end of its useful life. Benefits include safety to the traveling public and a replacement bridge compatible with the proposed Clifton Forge downtown revitalization master plan.
The public hearing was held to provide an opportunity for citizens or organizations to give VDOT comments and/or suggestions on the proposed project after reviewing the project information. There were over 17 VDOT employees on hand that had knowledge of each phase of the construction of the new bridge, to assist the public with information on the replacing of the bridge. They also had maps and drawings of the proposed bridge project to help the public to better understand the work involved in replacing the bridge.
All oral and written comments received on this project from this meeting will be included in a transcript for review by VDOT personnel, citizens and other interested parties. VDOT staff will address questions and concerns raised as a result of this hearing before the project is presented to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) for action.
VDOT officials reported that it is anticipated that the construction of the Route 60 bridge will not require the displacement of any families, businesses or non-profit organizations. However, as the project plans develop, temporary relocations could prove necessary. Some of the businesses that could be affected: one entrance of SonABank, Fairfield Farm Real Estate; The Masonic Theatre (which plans to be closed for the year of construction) and Industrial Loan.
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 be approximately 161 feet long and 51 feet, six inches wide due to the existing buildings constructed adjacent to each side of the bridge. There will be two 11-foot travel lanes with no shoulders, and a single lane measuring 11 feet, six inches for side street 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, and of this figure two percent is truck traffic. Clifton Forge’s cost of replacement of the bridge is 5 percent of the cost, and for several years the Clifton Forge Council has been placing $20,000 in the budget each year as a fund to take care of the town’s cost of replacing the old bridge.
When actual construction begins, Clifton Forge will revert two blocks of Ridgeway Street which is now one way traffic back into two way traffic. The planter at the intersection of Ridgeway Street and Main Street will have to be removed to make two way traffic possible once again on Ridgeway Street. There are some merchants on Ridgeway Street who have indicated they would like to see Ridgeway Street remain two way traffic permanently in order to benefit from getting business traffic from both directions on Ridgeway Street.
The public hearing and the announcements that the bridge construction will not begin until spring of 2011 will mean that the Clifton Forge Shrine Club will have one more year to hold the Clifton Forge Fall Festival downtown before making other arrangements because of the closing of the Main Street and forcing two- way traffic on Ridgeway Street.
The festival will be held Oct. 15, 16 and 17.
