BRATTLEBORO — Taking down the last segment of the northbound span of the West River Bridge on Interstate 91 turned out to be more troublesome than expected.
According to PCL Civil Constructors Inc., the primary contractor for the I-91 project, the last remaining part of the bridge started leaning slightly last Saturday during the removal of a portion of the structure.
As a result, PCL contacted the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and both agreed that the adjacent I-91 southbound bridge structure be closed to traffic until the partially demolished northbound bridge could be inspected and adjustments made to ensure its safety.
Vermont State Police closed I-91 between Exits 2 and 3 in both directions Saturday night and all day Sunday. Traffic was detoured onto Route 5 through Brattleboro until shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The result was a massive traffic jam in downtown Brattleboro and on I-91, where cars were backed up for miles in both directions on Sunday afternoon.
Route 30 had already been closed to traffic last Friday so the demolition work could begin. Traffic will be detoured over Upper Dummerston Road until Friday, April 18, when work is expected to be finished.
PCL said Monday that work crews and engineers worked around the clock Saturday night and Sunday to rectify the situation, and that the southbound span was ultimately unaffected by the problems with the remains of the northbound span.