FRENCH CREEK – A bridge in French Creek that the West Virginia Division of Highways plans to close to traffic on April 17 is unlikely to ever reopen.
The W.Va. DOH sent out a press release Thursday advising the bridge on County Route 4/15 off Route 20 south near the French Creek United Methodist Church would close to traffic later this month,
Chad Boram, a bridge engineer with DOH’s District 7, said Thursday the bridge will be closed due to its poor deteriorated condition and will likely have to be removed.
“It’s likely the bridge will be removed whenever funds are available to do so,” Boram said. “We inspect bridges every two years, and we’ve been inspecting that one every year. We came back and re-evaluated in, and we’ve been considering closure on that one for a few years.
“It’s essentially a permanent closure, and we’ll remove it when funds are available.”
Boram said the posted weight limit on the bridge is 3 tons and has been for years.
Traffic will be diverted via a short detour that goes around the bridge, measuring less than a quarter-mile.
