Contract awarded for Route 715 bridge replacement in Buchanan County

BRISTOL – Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board recently awarded the Route 715 bridge replacement contract for Buchanan County. 

The contractor, Caton Construction Group, Inc., Charlottesville, Va., was awarded the $2.32 million contract. Work is anticipated to begin in late October.

It is anticipated the work will take approximately seven months to complete, with a May 2025 completion date.

The Route 715 bridge was damaged during the Whitewood flood in 2022.

Following the Whitewood flood in 2022, VDOT completed $10.8 million in repairs at over 120 locations with repairs including items such as slide, road and drainage repairs. The project to replace the Route 715 bridge over Dismal Creek is the final piece of the puzzle.

Extensive environmental work was part of the preliminary engineering process for the bridge due to the federally listed threatened Big Sandy crayfish being found in this section of Dismal Creek.  A two-day survey in Summer 2023 found Big Sandy crayfish in this section of Dismal Creek, requiring the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and VDOT to formally consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Motorists are currently using Routes 800, 624 and 460 to detour, a distance of approximately seven miles.