(Supervisors declare a State of Emergency)…It was expected.
County Public Works Director John Gay explained why he ordered the Drew Road Bridge closed and blocked off last week. He also gave a time estimate to reopen the Bridge. Gay said on June 26th Cal Trans inspected the bridge over the New River and discovered the Bridge had lost critical steel sections on the foundation piles due to advanced corrosion. The corrosion affected the stability of the structure, and failure of the bridge was likely during a potential natural disaster. A detour route was established. The Public Works Director said they were planning to repave Drew Road, anyway, and repairing the Bridge could be connected to that project. Gay said funding was available, and no General Funds would be used. He estimated repairs could be made within six to eight months.
