In Design: Highland County – Route 640 (Blue Grass Valley Road) over South Branch Potomac River

This project replaces the Route 640 (Blue Grass Valley Road) bridge over the South Branch of Potomac River. It is located about 0.25-mile from Route 642 (Laurel Fork Road) and 0.95-mile from Route 637 (Maple Sugar Road) in Highland County.

The existing structure is 59 feet 6 inches long and 22 feet 8 inches wide with a posted capacity of 12 tons. It is a two-lane, two-span, timber-deck bridge constructed sometime prior to 1969.

The proposed replacement will be a two-lane, single-span concrete bridge about 60 feet long and 24 feet 6 inches wide. The project also includes removal of two abandoned abutment structures just downstream of the bridge replacement. Prior to construction utility lines will need to be relocated.

During construction, Route 640 traffic will use a single-lane temporary diversion just upstream of the existing bridge. The temporary river crossing will be constructed using pipes, placed in the channel bottom to convey river flow and support a compacted fill roadway.

The total estimated cost of this project is $4,789,392, including $457,914 for preliminary engineering, $307,404 for right of way and $4,024,074 for construction.

In 2021 Route 640 had an average traffic volume of 320 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2046, the estimated traffic volume is 360 vehicles per day.

Benefits 

This project improves safety by replacing a bridge at the end of its service life with a new structure capable of handling modern weight vehicles.

Major Milestones 

Design Approval: Summer 2023

Begin Right of Way Acquisition: Early 2024

Construction advertisement: Fall 2024