James River Bridge
| James River Bridge | |
| Spans | James River |
| Lanes | 2×2 |
| Total length | 7,071 meters |
| Main span | ? |
| Bridge deck height | 18 meters |
| Opening | 00-00-1982 |
| Traffic intensity | 28,000 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
According to Biotionary, the James River Bridge is a girder bridge and vertical lift bridge in the United States, located by the city of Newport News in Virginia.
Characteristics
The James River Bridge is a four-mile steel bridge spanning the mouth of the James River in the Hampton Roads region. The bridge connects the city of Newport News with rural areas in the southeastern part of the state. The bridge is 7,071 meters long and is actually a kind of causeway with a low vertical clearance of just under 5 meters. On the Newport News side there is a lift bridge for shipping, here the vertical clearance is 18 meters when closed and 44 meters when the lift bridge is open. The bridge has 2×2 lanes with a center divider and US 17 in Virginia runs over it. The bridge is toll-free.
History
Newport News is located at the end of an elongated peninsula and connections to parts of the state other than the northwest have always been via ferry services. The first bridge was built on this location in the mid-1920s and opened to traffic on November 17, 1928. The construction cost $5.2 million and was the longest bridge over water in the world when opened. The bridge was a toll road. Due to the bridge’s aging condition and limited two-lane capacity, a new bridge was built between 1975 and 1982 at a cost of $75 million. This bridge was toll-free. The old bridge was demolished in 2004.
Traffic intensities
In 2011, 28,000 vehicles crossed the bridge every day. The bridge itself therefore has more than sufficient capacity, but the lifting bridge opens quite often due to the low vertical clearance.
Jordan Bridge
| Jordan Bridge | |
| Spans | Elizabeth River |
| Lanes | 2×2 |
| Total length | 1,638 meters |
| Main span | 113 meters |
| Bridge deck height | 44 meters |
| Opening | 27-10-2012 |
| Traffic intensity | ? mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
The South Norfolk Jordan Bridge, or Jordan Bridge for short, is a box girder bridge in the United States, located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Characteristics
The Jordan Bridge spans the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth. The bridge is a box girder bridge with a total length of 1,638 meters and a main span of 113 meters. The bridge is particularly striking because of the large vertical clearance of 44 meters above the Elizabeth River. It is therefore a fixed bridge. Over the bridge is State Route 337 in Virginia with 1×2 lanes and emergency lanes. It’s a toll road. Cyclists and pedestrians can cross the bridge for free.
History
An aerial view of the Jordan Bridge.
The first bridge was built at this location in the mid-1920s, and opened as a toll bridge on August 24, 1928. The original bridge was a truss bridge with a lifting bridge that had to be opened frequently for shipping. In addition, the bridge is often hit by ships. The lift bridge often had malfunctions and the reliability of the bridge connection was poor. On November 8, 2008, the bridge was permanently closed to all traffic, after which the lifting section was removed. The bridge itself was demolished in 2011.
Closing the original bridge meant that 20,000 vehicles had to be diverted, while existing connections between Norfolk and Portsmouth were already congested. A new span was therefore planned, but the traditional forms of financing could not afford the construction. In 2008 it was proposed to replace the bridge with a new privately owned toll bridge. This proposal was approved in 2009, after which the bridge was built between 2010 and 2012. The new bridge opened to traffic on October 27, 2012.
Traffic intensities
The old bridge was used daily by 20,000 vehicles. Traffic intensities of the new bridge are not yet known.
Toll
The Jordan Bridge is a toll road with electronic toll collection, there are no toll gates. The toll is $1 with an E-ZPass, $2 with a discount and $3 with a license plate toll.
