DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - Davenport officials have closed a bridge that carries thousands of vehicles daily after finding the span’s surface showed “widespread deterioration.”
City officials announced Wednesday that Elm Street bridge would be closed to vehicles and pedestrians, The Quad-City Times reports .
City workers first discovered holes in the bridge’s deck on Monday, said Brandon Wright, assistant city administrator. They immediately closed off the bridge, though some people continued to use the span, he said.
An inspector told the city midweek that the bridge should remain off limits, Wright said. The city is waiting for a final inspection report, which may take about two weeks to be completed. It’s unclear when the bridge will reopen, he said.
City officials have been monitoring the bridge’s condition for several years, Wright said. An estimate the city received last year said replacing the bridge would cost about $3.4 million, he said.
The timber stringer bridge is owned by Canadian Pacific Railroad. It was built in 1937 and reconstructed in 1984, according to a 2017 inspection report by Veenstra & Kimm, Inc.
The report rated the bridge’s deck in serious condition and recommended the structure “be completely replaced in the near future.” The report gave the bridge an estimated remaining lifespan of four years.
Canadian Pacific Railroad declined to comment on the issue, said Andy Cummings, a spokesman for the railroad.
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Information from: Quad-City Times, http://www.qctimes.com
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