Important milestone reached for new bridge through historic Virginia site

A contract has been awarded to rebuild a river crossing through a major Civil War battlefield at Cedar Creek in Virginia. The new Route 11 bridge will be built using the existing bridge footprint, a modification to original plans sought by SELC and our partner, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Association. The alignment previously preferred by the Virginia Department of Transportation would have paved over battlefield land, impacted the gateway to the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, and run through an area listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

“The revised, lower impact plan will meet the transportation needs for the project without destroying any core battlefield land,” said Trip Pollard, leader of SELC’s Land and Community Program. “It is good for historic preservation, good for the environment, and good for the community.”

Construction, slated to begin this spring, will replace two existing bridges at Cedar Creek with one new bridge that uses the existing northbound alignment. The Virginia Department of Transportation will manage the project, which is scheduled for completion in November of 2018.

Click here for further coverage of the bridge construction plans.