Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 19, 1994 TAG: 9405190160
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FAIRLAWN LENGTH: Medium
At 6:17 a.m., Virginia Department of Transportation crews gave the go-ahead to waiting lines of vehicles on both sides of Memorial Bridge, reopening the span to traffic for the first time in almost a month.
On April 21, the department abruptly closed the bridge carrying U.S. 11 between Radford and Pulaski County after an ultrasound inspection revealed serious structural problems. Repair work took just more than two weeks.
To be on the safe side, Pulaski radio station WPSK invited the Rev. Tom Magri of St. Jude Roman Catholic Church in Radford to bless the bridge during rush hour Wednesday morning. A disc jockey broadcasting from the scene also handed out "I survived Memorial Bridge" bumper stickers.
Radio newsman Bob Thomas of WRAD-WRIQ in Radford broadcast live from his car, the first to cross the bridge from the Radford side.
Within hours of the reopening, the patient was feeling much better, thank you, and Fairlawn businesses were delighting in the prospect of a return to economic health.
"I've seen faces today I haven't seen for a month," said Andrea Phillips, manager of the Deli Mart on U.S. 11. Phillips said her business dropped about 50 percent while the bridge was blocked. To add insult to injury, the shop had to switch its business from a bank in Radford to one in Fairlawn to avoid the lengthy detour.
Ellis Goodman at the Wilco gasoline station and convenience store across the highway had a similar tale. "It was like a ghost town out here," he said of the closing. Now the regulars are returning, and things are looking up, he said.
All the parking spaces were filled in front of Advance Auto Parts just three hours after the bridge reopened. That put a smile on the face of assistant manager Alvin Huff, who said his store's business dropped by half during the closing.
Kmart employees had to shift into high gear by midday Wednesday. "We weren't ready for a regular kind of day," said Ward Brunner, a manager. "We weren't mentally prepared." He said his store lost significant business during the closing and workers were coping happily with the renewed activity.
In Radford, Wayne Blaylock, who manages the Food Lion supermarket in Tyler Square, expects his business to drop off a bit now that the bridge is back in service. "It's actually a welcome relief," he said. Blaylock said some of the surge in business his store enjoyed during the bridge closing came from customers of the chain's Fairlawn supermarket.
For the time being, bridge traffic will be restricted to the two inside lanes to permit some finishing touches to the repairs, said assistant resident highway engineer David Clarke. Memorial Bridge also will have weight restrictions for the first time in its nearly 50 years. Single-unit vehicles will be limited to 22 tons, while tractor-trailer rigs may weigh no more than 29 tons.
The weight limits could keep some fully-loaded tractor-trailer or tractor-tanker rigs off the bridge, said VDOT spokeswoman Laura Bullock. She said the department hopes to open all four lanes of the bridge by this weekend.
Across the river at the Radford Community Hospital's Wellness Center, director Jim Wright saw a bright side to the bridge closing, which cut into his traffic by 25 percent or so. "It made people discover their legs," he said. "We hope they'll continue to use them."
by CNB