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Repairs Begin On Western Md. Civil War Landmark

SHARPSBURG, Md. (AP) -- The National Park Service says it has begun repairing the Burnside Bridge at Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg after pieces of the stone arch fell into Antietam Creek in January.

The agency said Wednesday the bridge will remain mostly open to pedestrians during work on the upstream wall this summer. The park service says the reconstruction work should be finished this fall.

The agency is also conducting an overall condition assessment of the 180-year-old bridge, possibly leading to more extensive rehabilitation work in the future.

Rangers say the triple-arch bridge is the park's most-photographed feature. During the battle on Sept. 17, 1862, a small number of Confederates held off Union forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside for several hours at the bridge.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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