Hatch Road bridge will reopen next week, ending long detour for South Hill motorists

Jul. 8—Those motorists who have had to take a circuitous route home on Hatch Road in recent months will get an early reprieve next week.

The city had expected to open the Hatch Road bridge, closed since March 29 for a $1.9 million deck replacement project, for drive time on Thursday afternoon.

But "a section that needs further attention" has pushed the opening to an unspecified date next week, according to a city news release.

The expected opening date is still two weeks ahead of the city's initial estimated reopening, the city said.

The reopening will allow drivers on the South Hill to travel down Hatch to reach U.S. Highway 195 instead of having to drive downtown and taking Interstate 90 west to the exit on U.S. 195.

"We know this detour has been one of the most challenging because there aren't other nearby options," Kyle Twohig, the city's director of engineering services, said in a statement.

The reopened bridge will allow for a high volume of freight and commuter traffic. The road will include a right-turn lane for northbound traffic on U.S. 195.

Halme Construction, Inc., was awarded the bid for work on the bridge over Hangman Creek, which was first built in 1919 and improved in 1964. According to the city's most recent traffic count in 2018, roughly 10,500 motorists crossed the bridge each day.

The city did not provide an exact time for reopening. The project had been scheduled for completion at the end of the month.