VDOT plans to close part of Rt. 620 in Shenandoah County for bridge replacement

Part of a Shenandoah County road will be closed for about eight months starting this coming week for contractors to replace a low-water bridge that is nearly 90 years old.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the low-water bridge along Rt. 620 (Smith Creek Rd.) that crosses Smith Creek will close starting on Monday, April 6.

Rt. 620 will be closed about 0.2 miles south of the intersection with Rt. 732 (Cardinal Road), near New Market.

The closure will allow contractors to replace a single-lane bridge that was built in 1932 that VDOT says is past its service life. They'll be replacing the bridge with a new two-lane bridge that will be about three feet higher, which should result in fewer times the road is closed due to flooding.

The new bridge will also have a railing, which the old structure does not have, and will realign with the existing roadway.

More information on VDOT's plans for the bridge can be found

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Throughout the eight months that the section of road will be closed, drivers on Rt. 620 will have a detour of about eight miles:

• Northbound drivers will go west on Route 211 (Lee Highway), north on Route 11 (Congress Street/Old Valley Pike) and east on Route 732 to return to Route 620.

• Southbound drivers will go west on Route 732, south on Route 11 (Old Valley Pike/Congress Street) and east on Route 211 (Lee Highway) to return to Route 620.

The work is being done through a $1,166,028.70 construction contract to National Bridge Builders LLC of Kernersville, N.C. that was awarded by VDOT on Jan. 20. The contract has a fixed completion date of December 18, 2020.