BY MATT LINDSEY

North Country This Week

PARISHVILLE -- A bridge on Jones Road closed last month and will be closed until at least 2021.

St. Lawrence County Highway Superintendent Donald Chambers said the bridge was immediately closed following a state inspection Thursday, Sept. 19.

Two trusses have been compromised after trucks that were over the weight limit for the bridge crossed and caused severe, permanent damage, he said.

The weight limit for the bridge is three tons.

Chambers said the trusses essentially “bowed” as they were stretched due to the weight of the truckloads. There is also heavy corrosion and rust holes, which deemed the bridge unsafe for travel.

There is no estimated cost to fix the bridge, as it is not a part of the 2020 budget for the highway department.

Chambers said they plan to refurbish existing trusses to fix the bridge, but the work cannot be done until 2021.

Chambers did acknowledge that the detour is “quite a distance” but the road is considered seasonal.