75-year-old bridge has been closed since 2016
Wayne County is planning to spend nearly $1.8 million to replace a bridge south of Hagerstown that has been closed since 2016. Most of the cost will be borne by federal funding.
The Wayne County Highway Department will have a public hearing about its plans to replace the Heiney Road bridge at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Wayne County Administration Building, 401 E. Main St., Richmond.
The 75-year-old bridge carries Heiney Road over the west fork of Whitewater River. The mile-long road runs east and west between Treaty Line and Brick Church roads.
The county highway department closed the bridge in 2016 after finding that the deck could not be repaired, said Brandon Sanders, the county highway engineer. In 2020, the department received a federal grant to pay for 80% of the cost for design and replacement. Construction of the new bridge would start in the fall of 2024 and is expected to take six months.
According to a public notice about the hearing, the anticipated cost is $1,780,000, including $1,430,000 for construction, $300,000 for engineering and $50,000 for obtaining right-of-way. A public presentation about the project will be posted online on Oct. 5 at https://bfsbox.com/wayne county/publichearing.php
The existing bridge will be removed. A two-lane, two-span concrete structure will be constructed in its place. The mouth of Bear Creek, which flows into the river just north of the bridge, will be moved about 10 feet north to avoid scouring the new bridge. The bridge is expected to last for 75 years.
Heiney Road will remain closed during construction. There are no houses on Heiney Road east of the bridge and two on the west side. Land on both sides is farmed.
At the hearing, the highway department will take comments about the project. Comments can also be submitted in writing by Oct. 27 to the project coordinator, Ryan Scott of Butler, Fairman & Seyfert Inc., 8450 Westfield Blvd. Suite 300, Indianapolis IN 46240-8302.