VDOT closes county railroad bridge after damage discovered

Virginia Department of Transportation crews will shut down the Black Cat Road railroad bridge, between David Lee Road and Bunker Hill Road in Albemarle County, after inspection crews discovered a damaged support timber.

The bridge will be closed today through Friday, VDOT officials said. After reopening, repairs will continue to the support structures, requiring traffic to be limited to one lane on the span. The bridge weight limit will also be reduced from 15 tons to three tons, effectively limiting traffic to passenger vehicles only.

“Vehicles that are too heavy to cross the bridge should use Route 22 and Route 250 as a detour,” said Lou Hatter, VDOT spokesman.

The damaged support system was discovered in a periodic safety inspection conducted on all bridges and highway superstructures. All bridges are inspected every two years; some restricted weight structures such as the bridge on Route 616 are inspected at more frequent intervals, Hatter said.