by Megan Schiffres
KILMARNOCK—Residents and commuters from both sides of the Rappahannock River will continue to experience traffic delays on the Robert O. Norris Jr. Memorial Bridge this summer, due to a new construction project to mill and repave the bridge’s deck overlay.
The bridge’s existing overlay, which is the protective surface that separates motorists from the bridge’s steel grid, is made of a latex-modified concrete that has reached the end of its service life. It will now be dug up and replaced with Rosphalt, a thermoplastic polymer additive that becomes waterproof when mixed with asphalt.
Rosphalt is designed to extend the life of the bridge and to improve the smoothness and skid resistance of the deck. It also protects the steel grid deck below from corrosive substances like saltwater, salt from snow removal operations and bird droppings…
