Chantilly – The Virginia Department of Transportation is re-opening the one-lane, truss bridge on Aden Road in Prince William County this afternoon. VDOT shut down the 125 year-old bridge owned by Norfolk Southern on August 1 because the timber plank deck had severely deteriorated.

“Norfolk Southern has replaced all of the severely worn and damaged deck planks and refastened the remaining deck planking,” said VDOT Northern Virginia bridge engineer Nick Roper. “Following a joint inspection today, I am confident that with continued maintenance the bridge can safely handle traffic.”

School buses, dump trucks and other vehicles weighing more than six tons are not permitted to use the bridge. VDOT bridge inspectors will conduct formal bridge deck inspections every three months in addition to frequent informal inspections.

The bridge was built in 1882 and is on the National Historic Register. Aden Road carries about 2,000 vehicles per day.

VDOT maintains more than 20,000 bridges and large culverts and making sure the commonwealth’s bridges are safe is a top priority.

The commonwealth has an aggressive bridge inspection and safety program. In Fiscal Year 2007, VDOT spent approximately $13.5 million on bridge inspections. In Fiscal Year 2008, $16 million has been set aside to inspect bridges.

VDOT has approximately 100 bridge inspectors on staff to conduct between 11,000 and 12,000 inspections each year.
Virginia bridges are inspected in accordance with National Bridge Inspection Standards by qualified inspectors. Inspections are performed at least every two years. Some bridges are inspected every year or less, depending on factors such as design details and condition of the bridge.

VDOT bridge lists, bridge inspection definitions and details on the re-inspection of steel truss bridges is available at http://www.virginiadot.org/info/bridge.asp