WILMINGTON — Severe deterioration of the bridge deck has prompted the closure of the Castle Hill Bridge on South Main Street for up to three weeks.
Town Manager Scott Murphy told the Selectboard last week that the deterioration was discovered when the paving coat was removed during milling work on South Main Street.
Murphy said the damage had nothing to do with flooding from Tropical Storm Irene last year, since the underside of the bridge is sound.
The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, but it is still accessible by pedestrians.
To access Castle Hill Road, Shafter Street, and Fairview Avenue by car, drivers will have to use Boyd Hill Road as a detour.
Murphy said there was no alternative to closing the bridge down completely without driving up repair costs significantly.
The costs of the emergency repairs to bridge are still to be determined, Murphy said. The closure might mean the town will have to overspend the town highway fund and hope for more state money to make up the difference.