PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The South Norfolk Jordan Bridge is partially closed to drivers at the Portsmouth entrance.
Officials closed it on Friday after a fire at the Wheelabrator waste facility on Elm Avenue. Authorities said it started on a conveyor belt.
The city's fire department said now, after the fire, the structure is unstable and too dangerous to drive under.
The South Norfolk Jordan Bridge is not seeing much traffic these days. It's only open to Norfolk Naval Shipyard parking and some businesses near the facility.
Other drivers can go on the bridge, but can't pass into Portsmouth. Detours are set up for people to turn around before reaching Wheelabrator.
Portsmouth resident Donald Keimig saw the commotion last week.
“There were fire trucks and they were spraying water all over the elevator," he said.
Keimig lives near the bridge, and said he had to find a new route to get to a medical procedure that day.
“I had to do a U-turn and go all the way around. Late for the procedure, so that was kind of discouraging," he said.
Jordan Bridge officials put out a tweet on Sunday saying they are waiting on information from Wheelabrator and fire officials on the condition of the structure to open the bridge fully again.
“Personally, for safety reasons, they can take as long as they want," Keimig said. "But I hope they hurry up."
Portsmouth fire officials said they are investigating how the fire started. They don't yet have a timeline for when the area will reopen.