GLEN JEAN, W.Va. (AP) — A trail bridge at West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River will close for four to six weeks for repairs.
The bridge provides access to the town of Hamlet in the Glade Creek area of the park. It is closing either Nov. 30 or Dec. 7, park Superintendent Lizzie Watts said.
Updated information on the closure will be posted on the park’s website, Facebook and Twitter.
Barring heavy rain, Hamlet should remain accessible by fording Glade Creek, Watts said.
“Please use caution,” she said. “Although creek levels are typically lower during the fall and early winter, conditions can rapidly change, so be aware of forecasted rain at and upstream of the Hamlet bridge.”
The bridge, which is approximately 120 years old, may be open on weekends but some weekend closures may be required, Watts said.
Repairs will include cleaning and painting the structural steel, repairing concrete on pier caps, cleaning masonry joints and engineering to prevent additional erosion.