The Virginia Department of Transportation announced recently a proposal to rehabilitate the North End Branch Bridge in Mathews County. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024.

Kelly Hannon, public information officer for VDOT’s Fredericksburg District, which includes Mathews County, said the proposed project “will improve safety and extend the life of service of the structure.”

The narrow bridge, built in 1949, carries Route 14 over the upper end of the North River and is located between Booker Lane and the Gloucester-Mathews County line.

According to Hannon, VDOT is proposing to widen the bridge deck and travel surface to include five-foot shoulders on both sides of Route 14 travel lanes instead of the current shoulder width of two feet.

The current weight limit restriction is 32 tons for all vehicles and it was posted in 2011. “Once the project is complete, the bridge will be able to carry all vehicle traffic of legal weights and the restriction will be removed,” ...