Bridge to close for soil work

Daily Staff Report

The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to close the low-water bridge on Morgan Ford Road over the Shenandoah River in Warren County this weekend for soil work.

Weather permitting, crews will close the bridge beginning at 9 a.m. Friday with an estimated completion time of 4 a.m. Sunday, according to a VDOT press release. The work zone extends from 0.2 miles north of Va. 643 to 1.5 miles south of Va. 661.

Motorists can get around the work site from the south end of the bridge by taking Happy Creek Road (Va. 624) to East 6th Street in Front Royal to U.S. 522 north to U.S. 522-340 and then to Va. 661. From the south, motorists can avoid the bridge by taking Va. 624 to Va. 661 and then to U.S. 522-340 south to the U.S. 522 bypass in Front Royal to East 6th Street in town to Va. 624.

VDOT plans to hold a public meeting Wednesday on a project to raise the one-lane bridge and widen the span to two lanes. The meeting will be held from 4-7 p.m. at the Front Royal Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, 221 N. Commerce Ave. Visit VDOT's website at virginiadot.org and search for Morgan Ford Bridge
for more information on the project or to find out how to send written comments to the agency.

Contact staff writer Alex Bridges at 540-465-5137 ext. 125, or abridges@nvdaily.com