Valley Green Bridge Over Wissahickon Creek Reopens -- Temporarily -- Ahead of Schedule
By Brad Segall
WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- A key route for drivers through Montgomery County is open once again, after county engineers found a way to temporarily take care of some structural issues.
The West Valley Green Road Bridge, which links Whitemarsh and Springfield townships, was shut down in March after Penndot inspectors found structural problems.
The span carries nearly 6,000 cars a day over the Wissahickon Creek, between Stenton Avenue and Bethlehem Pike.
County commissioner Leslie Richards says they sent out county engineers to take a look.
"They figured it out -- they built special rigging to get underneath that bridge," she said this afternoon. "It was a very specialized fix, and it even came upon faster than we imagined."
The bridge, which dates back to the 1880s, was last renovated more than 60 years ago and is on the Penndot list for rehabilitation, but with no date on when the repairs are expected.
Richards says the interim fix will be inspected every six months to ensure its safety.
"We're hoping that this fix will last for years, until a more permanent rehab to that bridge is designed and ready to be constructed," she tells KYW Newsradio.