Vermont state transportation officials shut down the Bridge Street Bridge, Richmond's main bridge, Sep. 4 after discovering that steel under the structure had deteriorated so much that it was unsafe for vehicles.
The 80-year-old steel truss Bridge Street Bridge, which connects the town to nearby I-89 over the Winooski River, had already been reduced to a single lane several years ago due to the conditions. This latest development had state and local officials frantically trying to reach a solution.
John Zicconi, a spokesman for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, said state and private engineers were planning to meet to discuss using steel patches to reinforce the bottom of the bridge as a short-term fix. In the long run, he said the bridge needs to be rehabbed.
Erik Filkorn, a member of the Richmond Select Board, said the damage was discovered the week of Sep. 1 during inspections by VTrans officials and engineers.
Filkorn said the closing will add at least a dozen more miles to the commutes of the 6,000 vehicles that travel on the bridge per day.
The closing marks the second time this summer that Vermont has shut down one of its bridges. Another 80-year-old steel truss bridge along Route 2 in Middlesex closed in June after engineers discovered deficiencies.
Vermont has about 2,700 bridges built between 1920 and 1939. Of those, about 86 are steel truss bridges, built after the flood of 1927 washed away more than a thousand roads and bridges. Many of those bridges are in desperate need of repair. Seven of the bridges have temporary structures in place, seven others have weight-limit restrictions and eight more are closed completely.
"Clearly these 80-year-old bridges are at the end of their expected lifespan," Zicconi said. "But over time, some of them have been rehabbed."
