Recently Completed: Route 652 (Cool Water Drive) Bridge Replacement over Polecat Creek

Route 652 (Cool Water Drive) in Caroline County reopened at the bridge over Polecat Creek on April 27, 2023. 

The bridge had been closed since March 2022, when a scheduled bridge inspection at that time identified significant deterioration in key bridge elements, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) closed the bridge for motorist safety until a new bridge was built. 

Prior to the closure, this bridge had been posted with a 4-ton vehicle weight restriction. A project to replace the bridge was already under development when it closed, and VDOT accelerated the project.

Construction on the new bridge began in September 2022. The new bridge was scheduled to open in August 2023, and the replacement was finished approximately 5 months ahead of schedule. 

Cool Water Drive carries an average of 450 vehicles a day, according to a VDOT traffic count.

Benefits 

Installs a new concrete structure that will be slightly wider with paved shoulders

New bridge will be open to vehicles of all legal weights

Major Milestones 

Emergency Bridge Closure: March 2022

Construction Began: September 2022

New Bridge Opened: April 27, 2023