Bridge on Kelly-Toponce condemned

A bridge in the northwest part of the county near the Chesterfield Reservoir has been declared condemned, and is currently closed to traffic.  The bridge, which is just to the east of Nipper Road on Kelly-Toponce Road is north of the townsite.

While not an especially high-traffic bridge, it does represent a useful path through the area, and is likely to inconvenience agriculture and recreation in the spot.

 Inspection of the bridge resulting in its being determined to be unsafe for further use without some kind of remediation.

The announcement was made in the middle of last week, and Road and Bridge Supervisor Kevin McLain has not met with the county commissioners in an official setting to discuss what the way forward is with the bridge.  There are generally some state funds available for bridge repair, but those depend on the budgeting cycle as well as some of the specifics of the bridge location, size, and needs.

It is unclear at this time whether the bridge can be restored, or whether it will need to be replaced and how that would be funded.

For the present, anyone needing to drive through the section of road the bridge occupies will need to detour south and east.