Valley Green Road Bridge Shut Down In Whitemarsh

WHITEMARSH, PA — Valley Green Road Bridge, which spans Wissahickon Creek in Whitemarsh Township, has been shut down indefinitely due to safety concerns, Montgomery County officials announced on Tuesday.

The bridge was built in 1884. While officials did not specify precisely what was wrong with the bridge, they did say that inspectors were analyzing its structure to determine if a short-term fix would be possible. It was previously shut down in March 2014 and reopened in August of that year due to structural issues.

The closure took place immediately on Tuesday, and traffic is now being diverted from the bridge via a signed detour, officials said.

A rehabilitation plan for the bridge has been in the works for years now. According to county officials, Montgomery County is working "aggressively" with PennDOT to bring the bridge from preliminary engineering to the final design stage.

That construction is expected to begin within the next four to six years, officials said.

The bridge connects Whitemarsh and Flourtown near Erdenheim Farm.

Motorists traveling in the area should expect altered traffic patterns.

Patch file photo