May 1, 2019

Waterloo Bridge bid over budget by $1.1 million

Government officials and citizens have debate the bridge’s future since it closed to vehicles in January 2014 because of structural deficiencies.

Restoration would include dismantling and fixing all parts of the steel truss bridge. — VDOT spokesman Lou Hatter The bid is under review. That’s about all I can tell you at this point. We’ll see where it goes from here. Waterloo Bridge • What: Wrought iron truss with wooden deck, erected in 1878; renovated in 1919.



• Where: Waterloo Road (Route 613) across Rappahannock River about seven miles west of Orlean, connecting Fauquier and Culpeper counties.



• Closed: January 2014 because of deterioration.



• Estimated rehabilitation cost: $3.9 million.



• Bid: $4.24 million from Allegheny Construction Co. of Roanoke



• VDOT project info: Click here Wrought iron truss with wooden deck, erected in 1878; renovated in 1919.Waterloo Road (Route 613) across Rappahannock River about seven miles west of Orlean, connecting Fauquier and Culpeper counties.January 2014 because of deterioration.$3.9 million.$4.24 million from Allegheny Construction Co. of Roanoke

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Staff Journalist





Just one company last week submitted a bid to restore the 141-year-old span over the Rappahannock River about seven miles west of Warrenton.



But, based on Roanoke-based



Allegheny’s bid totals $4.2 million to restore the single-lane, metal truss span that connects Fauquier and Culpeper counties near Orlean.



VDOT had estimated the cost at $3.9 million. To close the gap between the budget and the projected cost, $802,000 could come from end-of-the-year department funds, VDOT Resident Engineer Mark Nesbit said last June.



But, based on the bid, the funding shortfall has increased by $300,000.



After five years of debate and study, it remains unclear how the state will proceed with the project.



“The bid is under review,” VDOT spokesman Lou Hatter said Wednesday. “That’s about all I can tell you at this point. We’ll see where it goes from here.”



Allegheny Vice President John Douthat said Wednesday: “We haven’t heard anything from VDOT” about his company’s bid.



Just one other company expressed an interest in the project, according to Mr. Douthat.



“Sometimes you have 10 bidders, sometimes two bidders,” he said. “You just never know.”



To his knowledge, state procurement law prohibits the transportation agency from negotiating the bid price, meaning it must either accept or reject it, Mr. Douthat said.



The state agency review of Allegheny’s bid could take about a month, he added. “We may know in 30 days which way VDOT’s going.”



If Allegheny gets the contract, the Waterloo Bridge project could start in late June and take about a year to complete, said Mr. Douthat, whose company in 2001 restored the Goshen Bridge — a truss structure in Rockbridge County northwest of Lexington.



Last June, the 15-member Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board



A



Russell Hitt, who owns Hitt Construction in Falls Church, and his wife Joan committed that amount toward the project. The Hitts also own property near the bridge in Rappahannock County.



In the fall of 2017, Fauquier County applied for state and federal funding, using the Hitts’ contribution for two matching grants.



Because of safety concerns, the Waterloo Bridge



Two years later, Preservation Virginia put the bridge included the bridge on its 10th annual list of



The Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council and



Built in 1878, the span provided a popular shortcut on Old Waterloo Road (Route 613) from western Fauquier to Clevenger’s Corner, where Routes 211 and 229 meet in Culpeper.



VDOT closed the bridge because extreme deterioration made it unsafe for vehicles, even with a posted weight limit of 3 tons.



Contact Don Del Rosso at Don@FauquierNow.com or 540-270-0300.

Despite extraordinary efforts and a million-dollar donation to save it, the historic Waterloo Bridge’s future remains uncertain.Just one company last week submitted a bid to restore the 141-year-old span over the Rappahannock River about seven miles west of Warrenton.But, based on Roanoke-based Allegheny Construction Co.’s bid, it would cost $1.1 million more to complete the project than Virginia Department of Transportation’s budgeted $3.1 million.Allegheny’s bid totals $4.2 million to restore the single-lane, metal truss span that connects Fauquier and Culpeper counties near Orlean.VDOT had estimated the cost at $3.9 million. To close the gap between the budget and the projected cost, $802,000 could come from end-of-the-year department funds, VDOT Resident Engineer Mark Nesbit said last June.But, based on the bid, the funding shortfall has increased by $300,000.After five years of debate and study, it remains unclear how the state will proceed with the project.“The bid is under review,” VDOT spokesman Lou Hatter said Wednesday. “That’s about all I can tell you at this point. We’ll see where it goes from here.”Allegheny Vice President John Douthat said Wednesday: “We haven’t heard anything from VDOT” about his company’s bid.Just one other company expressed an interest in the project, according to Mr. Douthat.“Sometimes you have 10 bidders, sometimes two bidders,” he said. “You just never know.”To his knowledge, state procurement law prohibits the transportation agency from negotiating the bid price, meaning it must either accept or reject it, Mr. Douthat said.The state agency review of Allegheny’s bid could take about a month, he added. “We may know in 30 days which way VDOT’s going.”If Allegheny gets the contract, the Waterloo Bridge project could start in late June and take about a year to complete, said Mr. Douthat, whose company in 2001 restored the Goshen Bridge — a truss structure in Rockbridge County northwest of Lexington.Last June, the 15-member Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board approved $2.1 million in state and federal funding for the renovation project. $1-million pledge toward the bridge’s restoration helped revive interest in 2017 after consideration stalled more than three years ago.Russell Hitt, who owns Hitt Construction in Falls Church, and his wife Joan committed that amount toward the project. The Hitts also own property near the bridge in Rappahannock County.In the fall of 2017, Fauquier County applied for state and federal funding, using the Hitts’ contribution for two matching grants.Because of safety concerns, the Waterloo Bridge has remained closed since January 2014. It carried an average of 630 vehicles per day.Two years later, Preservation Virginia put the bridge included the bridge on its 10th annual list of “Virginia’s Most Endangered Historical Sites.” The Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council and citizens also campaigned to restore the bridge, which VDOT also had considered replacing with a modern structure.Built in 1878, the span provided a popular shortcut on Old Waterloo Road (Route 613) from western Fauquier to Clevenger’s Corner, where Routes 211 and 229 meet in Culpeper.VDOT closed the bridge because extreme deterioration made it unsafe for vehicles, even with a posted weight limit of 3 tons.Contactat Don@FauquierNow.com or 540-270-0300.

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Mark House · May 2, 2019 at 8:07 am Agree with Rover 530 - sometimes some things must be let go, like the old American Elm in Warrenton. They have been a part of the community but are now past the point of saving. Build a simple structure over the Rappahannock River at that location. Have a plaque with a photo of the old bridge and it's history at the entrance so the future generations can see what was there, and call it a day.

Cammie Rodgers · May 1, 2019 at 4:56 pm Is it worth it? I don't know, but Marshall had donations that helped it get started on their Main Street update, why not the Waterloo Bridge.



"Four family foundations and a Northern Fauquier resident primarily have pledged at least $610,000 to help cover the cost of burying utility lines along a one-block portion of Marshall’s Main Street."



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