Bridge engineers from the Virginia Department of Transportation are at the site this morning to inspect the bridge and determine the extent of the damage. At this time it is not known how long the bridge will remain closed. That determination will be made after the inspection is completed and the results are reviewed.

“Safety of the traveling public is always VDOT’s first concern,” said David Cubbage, Warrenton Residency administrator. “We will not reopen the bridge unless and until it is determined that it is safe for motorists to use.” While the bridge is closed local traffic can use Route 688 and Route 211 as a detour.

The bridge is a steel truss, timber deck structure that was originally commissioned in the 1870s and has spanned the Rappahannock River at Waterloo since that time. It was reconstructed in the 1970s and is currently posted for a three-ton weight limit.

Highway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia State Police — challenges you to help prevent highway fatalities. Buckle up. Avoid distractions. Share the road. Drive drug- and alcohol-free. Obey speed limits.  For more information on the Highway Safety Challenge and things you can do to avoid becoming Virginia’s next traffic fatality, visit www.safeVAhighways.org.

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