Lane to Close on Hunter Mill Road Bridge

In preparation for repairs to the bridge on Hunter Mill Road over Difficult Run, the Virginia Department of Transportation will be merging traffic to one lane beginning Tuesday.

The lane closure will be during non-rush hours — 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — from Tuesday through Friday so crews can do preliminary work, such as surveying, measurements and borings before construction on the bridge will begin.

The bridge is located between Hunter Station Road and Lawyers Road.

Construction to replace the bridge with a temporary panel truss, scheduled to begin in August and be completed over a couple of weekends, will close down the bridge and detour traffic.

After a recent inspection revealed irreparable corrosion to the steel beams, VDOT recommended the bridge be replaced. Construction for a permanent bridge is planned for 2012.

To guide residents through the plans for closures and construction, Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (Hunter Mill) has organized an information meeting for 7 p.m. Aug. 8 at the North County Governmental Center in Reston. Nick Roper, a bridge engineer with VDOT, will be in attendance.

"Hunter Mill Road is an absolutely vital link between the communities of Reston and Vienna, and our access to the Dulles Toll Road," Hudgins said in a statement. "I am pleased that VDOT has agreed to expedite the repairs to minimize the impact on residents that rely on this important thoroughfare."