Waterport bridge will shut down for about 5 months
WATERPORT – The longest county-owned bridge will shut down next month so it can be repaired, a project that could take five months, County Highway Superintendent Jerry Gray said.
The bridge on Route 279 stretches 700 feet across Lake Alice and the Oak Orchard Creek. Many of the concrete box beams that support the bridge are badly deteriorated and will need to be replaced. Gray also said the bridge will get a new surface with concrete, rubber membrane and blacktop.
The entire project is estimated to cost about $1.7 million. The county will open bids from contractors later this month and the work should start in May.
The federal government is paying 80 percent of the project with the state paying 15 percent the county covering the remaining 5 percent.
A detour will be posted as soon as construction gets started, Gray said.
