DATE: Wednesday, August 27, 1997            TAG: 9708270675

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   21 lines

BRIDGING THE WAY IN SUFFOLK

W.C. English Inc. contractors of Lynchburg continue work on the

Broad Street Bridge in Suffolk as Frankie James rides his bike

nearby. The new span, completion of which has been slowed by various

delays, is to be finished by the end of September. Unlike its

predecessor, the 450-foot concrete and steel bridge will have no

weight restriction. The upgraded bridge comes at a cost of about

$2.6 million. Suffolk will foot about 2 percent of the bill, or

$57,002. The state and the Federal Highway Administration will cover

the rest. Before construction started 18 months ago, statistics

showed that about 3,300 cars crossed the bridge each day. Trucks

were prohibited because of a 3-ton weight limit. The former bridge

was once a wooden railroad overpass built for horses and buggies.

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