The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has expanded the scope of the Ringgold Rail Trail bridge repair and Pittsylvania County has issued an invitation for bids (IFB) to repair the structure.

The original grant amount of $3,028,121 has been increased to $5,328,210, and includes federal, state and local funding.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors approved VDEM’s revised agreement at its July 16, 2024, business meeting.

The bridge was damaged in 2018 during Tropical Storm Michael and the flooding of Sandy Creek. Since that time, the cost to repair the structure has increased substantially. The County requested a budget amendment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last year.

The IFB was issued July 23 and calls for demolishing the damaged portion of the bridge and construction of a new bridge span and related work. Bids are due by 2 p.m. on September 18.

The bridge repair project also requires the recordation of documentation related to the bridge’s history and current condition, given the bridge’s historical significance as part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad System that dates to the 1800s. This recordation process is being conducted by Stantec.

The Ringgold Rail Trail is a 5.5 walking and biking trail that is part of the right-of-way of the former railroad of the same name. Currently, two miles of the trail are open with the remainder rendered unusable due to the bridge damage.