Demo of Old Route 7 Bridge Over Goose Creek Underway
The Loudoun Board of Supervisors authorized the project in January.
Photos
Work began this week on the removal of the span over Goose Creek that formerly guided Route 7 traffic over the creek.
The county had considered rehabilitating the bridge in the past, and at one point had federal matching funds to do so, but action was not taken before those funds expired at the end of 2010. Recent estimates showed various scenarios for rehabbing the bridge would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – if not more than $1 million – more than removing it.
It had provided access to the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, but there are other access points to the trail.
Shirley Contracting Company won contract for removal with its $648,500 bid.
The bridge, which is near the Goose Creek Golf Club, currently can be seen from Route 7 just east of River Creek Parkway.
Purcellville Matters
8:04 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
Very sad. Seems they have money to bail out those that can't manage their budget and spend it on trips to foreign countries. I am ashamed of them. Of course, this is just some ugly old bridge. Why does it have to come down and how much is this project costing?
Char Holland
8:35 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
The above article states the costs of removal vs. rehabilitating it.
Marantha Edwards
11:35 am on Friday, March 22, 2013
What memories are being torn down....when Goose Creek Golf Course and Country Club was THE place to be in Loudoun. The golfers, the grill, the dining room the events, the pool! Cheers to all the good ole' Loudouners I met there when I first moved to Loudoun in the summer of 1970!
Clairia Jackson
8:14 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
I was one of the people who advocated of saving the bridge when the new bridge was built; after all I have always loved suspension bridges. The bridge was saved only to have some stupid decision to wrap a chain link fence around it to keep people from jumping off the bridge. It really destroyed the esthetic quality. No fishing, no sitting to look out over the river, because of this ugly fence. The board had to act in some fashion because of lead paint; or letting it fall down by itself would of been okay.
Dan H
9:40 am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
The issue is flood waters.....several times in the last ten years, water has been OVER the old bridge. If it comes down in a flood, it's going to damage the current Rt7 bridge in a major way and we all know what that would do to already bad traffic.
Charlotte Nicely Crump Dobies
12:15 pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013
I love this old bridge. So sorry to see it go.