$2.32 million awarded for Buchanan County bridge replacement

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a contract worth $2.32 million to replace the Route 715 bridge in Buchanan County.

Caton Construction Group, Inc., based in Charlottesville, Va., was awarded the contract.

In 2022, the Route 715 bridge was damaged during the Whitewood flood.

After the flood, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) reportedly completed $10.8 million in repairs at more than 120 locations with repairs including items such as slide, road and drainage repairs.

The project to replace the Route 715 bridge over Dismal Creek is the final part, VDOT stated.

Work is expected to begin in late October and will take around seven months to complete, according to VDOT.

“Extensive environmental work was part of the preliminary engineering process for the bridge due to the federally listed threatened Big Sandy crayfish being found in this section of Dismal Creek,” VDOT said in a news release. “A two-day survey in Summer 2023 found Big Sandy crayfish in this section of Dismal Creek, requiring the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and VDOT to formally consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.”

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