Temporary signals were activated yesterday on Route 198 (Dutton Road) at the bridge over Harpers Creek in upper Gloucester County.

The project contractor, Bryant Contracting, Inc. of Toano, will rehabilitate this structurally deficient bridge, said Kelly Hannon, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation. The temporary signals will remain in place until the project’s estimated completion next May.

Bryant was awarded a $1.3 million contract for the project, Hannon said, which includes replacing the bridge’s superstructure, installing a new bridge deck and guardrail, and improving bridge approaches.

Traffic on the bridge will be reduced to one lane during construction. Hannon said that traffic will alternate crossing the bridge in a single open lane, controlled by the temporary signals.

No major reconstruction has been performed on this bridge since it was built in 1941, Hannon said. The bridge is 43 feet long and almost 26 feet wide. The average daily t...