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19 Loudoun bridges on state watch list
Although the state has identified 19 bridges in Loudoun as needing care, only two will receive federal stimulus funding.
The county will receive about $1.5 million in federal funding for the Sand Branch bridge on Route 609 (Pleasant Valley Road) near Round Hill and the Butchers Creek bridge on Route 719 (Airmont Road) in southern Loudoun near the Prince William County line.
“I don't believe we have unsafe bridges,” said Loudoun County Transportation Director Terrie Laycock. She said residents should not be alarmed to find a bridge near them on the state's list of deficient bridges. It just means, she said, that the condition of this bridge is being watched, and maintenance is being made a priority.
The state uses a national standard to evaluate bridges, said Nicholas Roper, who works for the Virginia Department of Transportation's bridge division.
State bridge inspectors, he said, rank each bridge's condition on a 9 to 0 scale, with 9 being excellent and 0 being a failed bridge.
The two Loudoun bridges getting federal funding received a 4 – a poor ranking -- from state inspectors.
The lowest ranking given to a bridge in Loudoun was a 3, or serious. This ranking was applied to the bridge near the Bull Run Post Office Road at the southern tip of Loudoun, and another off Loyalty Road near Taylorstown in the Lovettsville area.
Roper said a low ranking should not alarm anyone.
“It does not mean there is a risk of imminent collapse,” he said. A ranking of 1 would indicate that status. “Those two are structurally deficient. We have bridges that are structurally deficient that could be in commission for decades.”
Additionally, Loudoun's chunk of the transportation stimulus includes about $4.4 million for paving segments of routes 7, 9 and 287. The county is receiving $5.3 million to pay for improvements on Waxpool Road at the intersections at Loudoun County Parkway and Pacific Boulevard.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com
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