Fetters Mill Bridge Could Re-Open with Temporary Fix

According to Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richards, officials are exploring ways to temporarily fix the Fetters Mill Bridge to avoid the headaches of detours in Lower Moreland.

Montgomery County closed the bridge indefinitely in October due to structural concerns. Representatives from Lower Moreland, Bryn Athyn and Montgomery County agreed to revamp the bridge as part of the National Register of Historic Places in March of 2012.

The bridge has been closed for the last five months, but according to a report on CBS.com, Richards said a temporary fix would be to place a wood beam under the bridge and put a limit on weight restrictions.

Montgomery County Public Relations coordinator Jessica Willingham said that plan is just in the beginning stages.

“Fetters Mill Bridge is closed. The county is investigating the possibility of an interim fix before the full replacement, but that has not been decided yet,” Willingham said.

According to the Lower Moreland Township office, it has not received any word yet on temporarily opening the bridge.

“That would be the county’s decision. Everyone here wishes it would open,” a Lower Moreland Township office representative told Patch.

The earliest target date for the revamping of Fetters Mill Bridge is 2014. One of way to improve the bridge that was previously discussed was to increase the weight limit from three to 15 tons.

The Fetters Mill Bridge was built in 1883 and last rehabilitated in 1977. According to Bridge Hunter, the Superstructure condition and the Substructure condition each received a ‘poor’ rating. The Appraisal was listed as ‘Structurally deficient’ as of 2008. Montgomery County’s Department of Roads and Bridges have also classified it as “having outlived its useful life.”