Bridge work will last three months

Work on the Packing Shed Road bridge off Winchester Grade Road in southern Morgan County will last about three months.

The bridge, which is located on Route 8/18, has been a low water crossing that flooded all the time, said district bridge engineer Gary Klavuhn. It is also known as the Packing Horse Road bridge. There are a number of area structures built to handle low water conditions, he said.

The state had put in culverts and concrete there that they are tearing out. Crews are building a 30-foot long bridge that will be much higher.

"It won't flood out now," said Klavuhn.

The road, which is lightly traveled, has been closed for the construction, he said. There are other ways that people can travel around the bridge work, said Klavuhn.

Fishers Bridge replacement

Fishers Bridge will be replaced around 2009, said Klavuhn. The project will run about $3 million. A temporary bridge will be constructed next to it. The bridge work will actually be a reconstruction since some of the substructure piers are in good shape, he said.

There are no major concerns about any area bridges, Klavuhn added.

Hancock Bridge

The state of West Virginia is participating with Maryland in the work that is being done on the Hancock Bridge, said Klavuhn.

West Virginia owns a portion of the Hancock Bridge and the state's share of the project cost is $1.6 million, he said. Maryland is the lead agency on the project and inspects and repairs the bridge, said Klavuhn.

Sleepy Creek bridge

No work is scheduled for the one lane bridge at Sleepy Creek at this time, said Klavuhn. The bridge needs replaced, he said. The cost of the work would be about $2 million, said Klavuhn.

The bridge has poor alignment, a right angle turn and is not in good shape, he said. There is only so much bridge replacement money available, said Klavuhn. He hoped that the bridge could be replaced in the near future.

Private Ray Stotler Bridge

Water has been ponding on the Private Ray Stotler Bridge on Winchester Street in Paw Paw when it rains and may still be, said Klavuhn. The ponding is due to the settling of the approach slab, which sometimes occurs on a new bridge, he said. State highway crews have put blacktop on the dip in the road.

Settlement is a common problem with new bridges, said Klavuhn. Backfill material is used to bring it up to road grade, he said.

As with other construction projects requiring dirt fill, it is hard to get the dirt as compacted as it was originally, he said.

Settling not a safety

concern

The settling of the bridge is not a safety concern, he said. Vehicles may splash water from the ponding on a pedestrian as they come through, he said. Highway crews can only keep putting down more asphalt. After a while the bridge stops settling, said Klavuhn. The bridge was built in 2002, he noted.

The building of the two bridges in Paw Paw at the same time was a real success for them, said Klavuhn. It got rid of two bad bridges at once, he said. The other new bridge in Paw Paw is the American Legion Bridge on Route 9.