Students, teachers and guests of Lomega High School are going to have to find a different route for the next few months if they plan to come from the south.

County Road NS2700 between County Roads EW770 and EW760 was closed starting Thursday for a bridge replacement.

The bridge being replaced is just south of Lomega High School and north of EW770.

The road closure is expected to last 8-10 weeks, depending on weather, according to Heath Dobrovolny, Kingfisher County commissioner for District 3.

“The bridge has been on my schedule for replacement for two years,” Dobrovolny said.

A recent inspection highlighted the replacement’s necessity.

Dobrovolny said the inspection performed in July lowered the current bridge’s load rating to 15 tons.

Larger, 53-passenger school buses are around 16 1/2 tons.

Although the timing of the bridge’s replacement provides an inconvenience as it coincides with the start of school, Dobrovolny said that’s beyond anyone’s control.

“The contractor was delayed on their last project in June/July and could only start now,” he said.

A detour route is marked from NS2700 and EW770 east to NS2710, then north to EW760, then west to NS2700.

The county road is open from EW760 south to the high school.