Route 61 bridge at Freedom Ave. in Tazewell to be closed until September, Riverside Dr. bridge to start construction soon.

TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - If you have driven through the Town of Tazewell recently, you may have noticed a bridge closure at the Fourway. The Route 16 Bridge on Freedom Avenue is being replaced. This is causing drivers to have to go around the main throughway.

“It’s going to be a big inconvenience. The detour on that project is going to be complicated,” said Tazewell Town Manager, Todd Day.

The detour is: going straight through the red light in front of Hardee’s (Or taking a left if you are exiting Gratton) then taking a left on Professional Drive.

Some years ago the Town of Tazewell received more than $9 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation for its Good Repair Bridge Program. So far, at least three bridges have already been replaced.

“The other bridge there at Hardee’s was done a couple of summers ago. We also have a bridge over at the Farm Bureau dam that was replaced a number of years ago. Pisgah Road bridge has also been replaced,” said Day.

He adds that by the end of the grant funds, seven bridges in town will be totally replaced.

The bridge on Freedom Ave. will be closed until September 2023.

A bridge on Riverside Dr. across from Riverside Methodist Church will begin reconstruction on March 27th. The road will not be totally closed. A light will be placed and the bridge will move to one lane traffic.

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