Crews work to inspect and repair the 31st Street Bridge on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Drivers can expect some closures and delays on the 31st Street Bridge over the next several months as crews work to clean and paint the structure and its access ramps, but not until October of next year as the contract for the work suggests.
The bridge was closed to all traffic this past Monday and Tuesday for inspection. Workers began Friday setting up on and near the bridge. Traffic is now restricted to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Friday, May 22.
The contract completion date for the project is Oct. 31, 2016, but West Virginia Department of Highways Communications Director Brent Walker said the contract completion date and actual completion date are not necessarily the same.
“The project engineer left the contract completion date open until 2016 in case workers have to go back and complete the project next year,” he said. “The workers will be working daylight to dark seven days a week, and there is no reason it should not be completed by October or November of this year…