CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Getting around North Landing Bridge on Wednesday can be a headache for drivers in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
“I would imagine people who work at Oceana, who live in Chesapeake who come that way, they’re probably a little pissed off,” said Virginia Beach resident Stacie Roberson.
For much of the day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed off the bridge for repairs.
“The southern span which is on the opposite side of us right now has a small mechanical issue,” said Zachary Ware, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Ware said the tray holding an apparatus to open the bridge is deteriorating. If not fixed, it’ll cause backup for boaters on the water.
“This is to patch the damaged and deteriorating areas to make sure that we can continue to swing it without messing something else up,” he said.
Ware said it’s a problem they caught wind of about a year ago.
“It wasn’t a big issue and recently it kind of started growing," Ware said. "So, we rapidly jumped on it within the last few weeks.”
He said although this work is only set to last a day, a bigger project is brewing as he said the crossing will need a new span in the future.
“The bridge is in the planning and design phase of being replaced," Ware said. "As far as time frame on that, we’re probably quite a ways out.”
The North Landing Bridge is expected to reopen at 5 p.m. Until then, a detour is in place. It will take you to Indian River Road to Elbow Road. From there, take Butts Station Road to Centerville Turnpike.