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One lane of Applegate River Bridge on Highway 238 reopened at 5:30 p.m. Monday, two days after it was damaged by a passing vehicle. Flaggers will work round-the-clock to control one-way traffic, and weight restrictions will limit gross vehicle weight to 10,000 pounds, allowing most passenger vehicles to cross the bridge, Oregon Department of Transportation officials said. School buses, firetrucks and other large vehicles are still barred from the bridge. The bridge was closed Saturday after it was damaged by the blade of a bulldozer being transported on a trailer. The trailer was eastbound when the dozer blade struck the bridge, bending and breaking critical trusses. Motorists were directed to use North Applegate Road as a detour while the bridge was closed. Three Rivers School District added a bus route to ensure students were picked up and got to and from schools at close to regular times. Some high school students may have to ride the bus as much as 25 minutes longer than usual in the afternoons because of the detour, a statement on the district Web site said. ODOT engineers examined the bridge Monday and approved reopening it with restrictions until repairs can be completed. The bridge will undergo emergency repairs, which will require more temporary closures, ODOT bridge engineer Bob Grubbs said. He said no cost estimate or time line for repairs were available yet, as engineers are still designing the fix. "We understand this is an important bridge for the local community and we're working to get this repaired as soon as possible," he said in a prepared statement. Susan Meany, who lives in a mobile home park for seniors on Thompson Creek, said she and her neighbors were anxious about the bridge closure. "We're feeling kind of stranded out here," she said. She went to a funeral in Eagle Point on Monday and said the Upper Applegate Road detour added about 24 miles to her route home. "It's scary to think of that long term," she said, noting that those extra miles combined with current high gas prices would put a dent in her budget and those of other seniors on fixed incomes. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected].