ELKVIEW, W.Va.–The state DOH held an open house meeting Monday for residents to share opinions about a plan to replace the 90-year-old Blue Creek Bridge.
The twin-arch bridge is located on New Hope Road and crosses over the Elk River. Engineering Review Section Head Dirar Ahmad said the bridge, which was built in 1926, has its issues.
“Bridges like everything else in life, just like cars, you maintain but after a while maintenance becomes too expensive,” Ahmad says. “It doesn’t give you enough of an investment for the money you’re putting into it so you replace it.”
DOH Spokesman Carrie Bly said the restricted weight limit is an issue as well.
“You get into deterioration issues the older that it gets,” Bly said. “There is a restricted weight limit on it. It’s not the lowest in the state; I think 300 tons is. But this bridge is at 1300 right now.”
Ahmad said three alternatives are being looked at, but the third alternative is the most effective and cost efficient.
“We believe the third alternative, which would put the new bridge in the existing alignment and detour traffic without inconveniencing too many people, is the preferred alternative and would save us several thousand dollars,” he said.
Although construction is not expected to begin until 2019, the open house meeting was part of the process in building a new bridge. The building of the bridge would require about a seven-mile detour, something that resident Dennis Clemmer wasn’t happy about, citing slower traffic and commute times, and concerns about accidents because of the curviness of New Hope Road.
The bridge sees about 630 cars per day.