PETERBURG, Va. β A small bridge on Oak Hill in Petersburg that has been closed to traffic since 2022 due to structural concerns will finally get relief with a temporary bridge expected to open in mid to late March.
The closure has forced neighbors to take a more than one-mile detour for the past three years.
"We're grateful for anything if it gets us to get across to where we don't have to be making these drastic detours, it would be great," neighbor Dominique Byrd said.
"We're looking forward to it," neighbor Windell Goode added.
When the bridge first closed in 2022, residents expected repairs to take only a few weeks. Instead, the closure has stretched into its third year, creating community frustration.
While the temporary bridge provides access, the city plans to design a new permanent bridge that will look distinctly different from the original structure.
"The new, permanent bridge will be, not a high-rise bridge but it will have a lot more height to it," Petersburg Deputy City Manager Keneth Miller said. "That will afford us the opportunity to be able to maybe dig out more and allow free flowing water to go from here out to the river to cut down on flooding in this part of our city."
The city said funding was not available for the project in recent years, but funding is now in place with a dual purpose of reopening the road and helping to mitigate flooding in the area.
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