The Oklahoma Department of Transportation says additional potential cracks have been found in the bridge connecting Lexington to Purcell, which could delay the planned reopening of the bridge.
Head engineer Casey Shell told residents of the two towns Tuesday that the James C. Nance bridge over the Canadian River may not open within 45 days as originally planned. The bridge was shut down Jan. 31 after cracks were discovered in structural beams of the bridge.
The Norman Transcript reports that officials hope to reopen the bridge by late next month with a 5-ton weight limit in place.
The transportation department says the repaired bridge is expected to remain in use for about 10 years. After that, the state hopes to build a new, $40 million bridge over the river.
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