The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will temporarily close Route 617 (East Green Springs Road) in Louisa County to facilitate rehabilitation work on the bridge over Wheeler Creek. The closure is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 21.
The current bridge has a weight limit of 12 tons, with a width of 13 feet, 5 inches. VDOT’s Louisa Residency bridge crew will undertake the task of removing the existing steel beam and timber deck, while widening the abutments and replacing the superstructure. The new bridge will feature a steel beam and timber deck.
VDOT has stated, “Once finished, the rehabilitated bridge will be about 16 feet wide and capable of carrying all legal loads.”
Throughout the construction process, Route 617 will be closed to all traffic between 0.4 miles from Route 640 (East Jack Jouett Road) and 1.6 miles from U.S. 15 (James Madison Highway). Due to the low traffic volume, VDOT will not post a detour, and drivers are advised to find alternative routes.
VDOT has placed electronic message boards along Route 617 as of April 7 to alert drivers about the closure. The project is anticipated to be concluded by Thursday, June 19, weather permitting.
For local updates concerning conditions in VDOT’s Culpeper District, information is available on X.com/VaDOTCulp and the Culpeper District Facebook page. Moreover, current traffic conditions, VDOT’s statewide network of traffic cameras, and other real-time travel information can be accessed via the 511Virginia website. This information is also provided through the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 within Virginia.
