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Saltville officials say trestle over Clinchburg Road must come down after inspection; VDOT gives 30 days
Summary
Town staff reported bridge inspectors and engineering consultants recommended removal of the Salt Trail trestle spanning Clinchburg Road; VDOT has set a roughly 30-day timeline and warned it may remove and bill the town if work is not complete. Staff will present a more detailed plan at the Oct. 28 work session.
Bridge inspectors and the town's engineering consultant have recommended removing the Salt Trail trestle that spans Clinchburg Road, Saltville Public Works Director Brandon Frye told the Town Council on Oct. 14.
Frye said inspectors from the engineering firm The Lane Group advised the town that the trestle is not repairable and that specific spans and bents should be removed. He gave a preliminary estimate for work the town could perform using a rented crane plus town crews: a crane rental of about $1,200 and two days of crew work, with a total town-cost estimate in the $12,000–$15,000 range when labor and equipment are included.
Frye said the Virginia Department of Transportation has placed the road closure and provided the town approximately 30 days to remove the identified spans. "VDOT has given 30 days to have this complete or they will take it down themselves and bill the town," Frye told council; he said the town needs to confirm any water and sewer impacts before beginning work.
Town Manager Cecile Rosenbaum said she and Frye will assemble a more detailed plan and cost breakdown and return to the council at the Oct. 28 work session. For now, Frye said he would hold off on giving contractors the go-ahead until that meeting so the council can review competitive estimates and a mitigation plan for any utilities affected by removal.
The Lane Group’s inspection notes, as summarized by Public Works staff, recommended removing spans 6, 7 and 8 and removing bents 6 and 7. The trestle's condition also has been raised with FEMA staff as part of ongoing storm-damage project lists, Rosenbaum said in her manager’s report.
What happens next: Frye will prepare a formal plan (scope, schedule, cost, and utility protections) for the Oct. 28 work session. Council members asked for a deadline on any contractor bids that would preserve quoted rates if a third-party quote is sought.
No formal removal authorization or contract award was made at the Oct. 14 meeting; council postponed final authorization to the Oct. 28 work session so a fuller plan and competitive pricing can be reviewed.
