Another rural bridge has been crossed off in Washington County, part of nearly a half-mile of road vacated by the county.

The vote by the supervisors Tuesday, has the county vacating an area starting 300 feet south of the intersection of Orange Avenue and 303rd St., and ending approximately 2,010 feet south to the northeast corner of the south quarter. Part of the area is the Crooked Creek bridge on Orange Avenue.

A number of area residents were at the meeting, asking what would be involved if the bridge continued in private use only.

Chairman Robert Stout said that the landowners would have to check if their home owners insurance would cover any liability involving the bridge.

County Engineer Bob Bauer said that the county plans to remove the bridge later and install a low-water crossing.

The move also involved reclassifying that segment of Orange Avenue from a Class B to a Class C road. As the latter, access is restricted to landowners and to those whom they give permission to use the accessway.

Bauer advised landowners to install no trespassing signs and gates “so that kids won’t be out there partying.”

Stout told the residents that landowners “liability would increase dramatically” if gates are not installed.

Bauer also said that one of the landowners will have to contact him about whose name should be on the bill of sale for the vacated property.

Earlier, this spring, the board vacated a segment of Hickory Avenue, east of Wellman, that primarily involved closing the Maples Mill Bridge. The Hickory Avenue bridge eventually will be razed with no replacement built.

Both bridges are among some 44 rural structures that the county will have to examine and evaluate in the next few years, Stout told The News.

Priority will be for the farm to market roads, although other criteria, such as historical significance will be considered. However, to date, only the bridge at Rubio has qualified for historic registry.