September 8th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
With the Washington Street Bridge now entering its third year closed to traffic, efforts are continuing to gain some momentum to replace it, but even the most optimistic views are that a new bridge is still several years away. The bridge was shut down in 2017, but its issues began nearly a decade ago. In 2012, the two-lane span was reduced to one lane after structural issues were discovered during an inspection. Additional deterioration was discovered in April 2016 and the bridge was completely closed to vehicular traffic. CSX made basic repairs to the span and it opened to one-lane of traffic in October that year. However, a train strike in August 2017 closed the bridge indefinitely. In June 2018, another train strike caused additional damage. While some citizens have urged the city to take legal action against CSX in an effort to get it replaced, Mayor Ray Morriss said going to court would only prolong the problems — and prove a costly undertaking…
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