BRIDGE CLOSED Nitro-St. Albans Bridge Officially Closed; Yearlong Construction Under Way
Reported by: Kristin Keeling
Videographer: Bob Frank
Web Producer: Kristin Keeling
Reported: Jan. 7, 2013 11:46 AM EST
Updated: Jan. 7, 2013 12:33 PM EST
EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO C L I C K T O P L A Y
Nitro
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
If you take the Nitro-St. Albans Bridge often, you will have to take another route for the next year.
The bridge is officially closed for some major construction, and some drivers say it's going to take a lot to get used to the detour. But they know it's something that has to be done.
At 6 a.m. Monday, crews shut down the bridge. It's closed after years of complaints about its safety. The bridge is 79 years old and was deteriorating. Crews plan on demolishing the bridge deck and will build a new three-lane deck on the existing piers.
It's considered a tough job that may cause some hiccups for your commute. But drivers agree it is something that has to be done. "The bridge has needed worked on for years. Barges have hit the pillars that support it," resident William McCormick said.
"It definitely needs repaired. So, hopefully, come November traffic will be back to normal," Amanda McCormick of Kanawha County said.
Construction on the new bridge is expected to be done by Nov. 8. Until then, you will start to notice extra police patrol on both sides of the closed bridge. "Just monitoring the traffic to make sure that no one tries to go around the barricades and cross the bridge," Chief Brian Oxley of the Nitro Police Department said.
It's a change-up in your commute and a major change-up on the bridge. But it's one people are forced to get used to for the next year.
"It's either the St. Albans exit or the Dunbar exit. Those are my choices for this year. So I just deal with it and move on," Bob Evans of Cross Lanes said.
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