The County of Berks has erected detours around Kutz Mill Bridge, a county-owned covered bridge on Kutz Mill Road in Greenwich Township, that appears to have been damaged as a result of recent heavy rains. A portion of a wall adjacent to one end of the bridge has eroded and collapsed.
Personnel from Greenwich Township informed County Transportation Planner Alan Piper of the Berks County Planning Commission about the damage on Thursday. The Planning Commission, along with the Facilities department, are responsible for the maintenance of Berks County-owned bridges. The Kutz Mill Bridge spans the Sacony Creek just north of Kutztown.
A County bridge crew was dispatched to investigate the issue. Inspectors from the engineering firm McCormick Taylor will evaluate the damage to the bridge as soon as possible.
The bridge crew has closed the bridge and erected temporary barriers. A permanent detour will be in place by Monday, March 10. Once the damage is evaluated, a plan of action will be developed for making needed repairs. There are no current estimates on the cost of the damage nor to the duration of the detour.
The County of Berks commends the bridge crew, facilities department staff, and McCormick Taylor for their prompt response to this issue.
