Weight limit curtailed on Morrisville bridge

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Alarmed by what they saw during an inspection yesterday, state engineers today announced that they’re curtailing the weight limit on a Lamoille River truss bridge in Morrisville.

They plan to replace it immediately.

An inspection showed decay of weight-bearing steel beams along the underside of the Tenney Truss Bridge. It had its load capacity reduced from 33 tons to three tons today. That means school buses, tractor-trailers and dump trucks will not be able to use the bridge.

Built in 1928, the 115-foot bridge has been repaired several times since and is scheduled to be replaced entirely in 2013.

A temporary bridge, which will be built within the next two months, will resemble those used in emergencies such as road washouts.

V-Trans says the bridge, which handles about 3,800 vehicles a day, was not in danger of collapsing.

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