12 Investigates: VDOT fixes steel plate issue - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

VDOT is hoping drivers, who take Interstate 95 in their morning commutes, won't have any issues next week, as it prepares to do more bridge replacements.

The last time they did this type of work, steel plates damaged several cars.

Only NBC12 got a look at the fix contractors came up with to prevent large metal sheets from once again damaging vehicles.

Our cameras captured the emergency repairs needed back in December. Drivers sat in 3-4 miles of backups for hours, all during the height of the morning rush hour and all because of an equipment failure.

"What happened is a smaller plate was acting like a teeter," explained VDOT Project Manager Scott Fisher. "So when a vehicle went over the one end, it kicked that small plate up and got into the bottom of the vehicle."

NBC12 has been routinely asking the agency to show us what will change when it starts replacing the northbound side of the Sherwood Avenue bridge. The week before crews begin work, project Fisher gave us the scoop.

"The contractor has gone in and he's welded this tubular steel, which will reinforce the entire plate itself and it will keep this from pulling apart," he pointed out. "He also has the plates welded on here."

Fisher is confident in the fix, which should reassure drivers before steering their cars over the steel plates.

"With a smaller plate now welded to a larger plate, there's no way that this plate is going to be able to tip up like it did last time," he said.

Even with those issues, which have been frustrating Richmonders, we've learned this is the lesser of two evils.

"There is a way to do this project without the steel plates but that would involve shutting down one side of 95 completely and that's not acceptable during rush hour," Fisher added.

The work is scheduled to start next week and should last about two weeks.

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