Drivers in southern Cullman County will have to find a different route as the state works to repair a bridge this month.
The Alabama Department of Transportation will close a portion of Alabama Highway 91 (SR-91) near Arkadelphia to make repairs to bridge that spans Dorsey Creek. The area of affected roadway lies just west of the Arkadelphia community and south of Bremen along Highway 91, and is expected to remain closed for both directions of travel for an approximate period of 10 days.
ALDOT said the closure will begin around 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 and “remain closed for the duration of the repair.”
Workers already have begun intermittent single-lane closures that are expected to continue until Oct. 4 in preparation for the full closure.
“ALDOT’s Statewide Bridge Crew will work every day [as] weather permits, including weekends, to replace a steel cap — a beam that disperses load to the bridge piles,” ALDOT said in a release.
ALDOT public information officer Seth Burkett said the department has monitored the cap as its age and weather has caused it to rust over time. The bridge was temporarily repaired last year and all other structural components were inspected but no additional repairs were needed.
“This is just kind of going back and putting in the permanent fix,” Burkett said. “These [caps] could last the entire lifespan of the bridge. In this case we are just replacing one of the few caps on this bridge.”
Beginning on its eastern side at Holly Pond, Highway 91 runs in a southwesterly direction through Cullman County, connecting Hanceville, Interstate 65, and, at it western terminus, the Wilburn (also known as Bugtussle) community where it ends at its intersection with Highway 69.
A detour — mandatory for commercial traffic — will direct motorists around the affected span and northward to Alabama Highway 69 (SR-69). “Message boards at key intersections will advise motorists of the detour to SR-69,” ALDOT advised. “Commercial vehicles must use the detour route. Local traffic may use other alternate routes.”