VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) The Lesner Bridge replacement is close to being complete.
On Friday, July 6th, construction crews placed the final segment of the eastbound bridge superstructure. The City of Virginia Beach expects the bridge to be open to traffic the last week of August.
Chris Wojtowicz, the manager of the project, described Friday's accomplishment as a major milestone.
"It's like putting a keyway in. We're pretty excited, the guys building the bridge, the guys who designed the bridge, the guys who managed the construction. There's a lot of money, a lot of planning that went into this project, and now we're seeing it come to fruition," said Wojtowicz.
The estimated $119.5 million dollar project has been in the works for four years. It was originally scheduled to be completed during June of 2017, but after facing several challenges, it fell behind. Several factors led to the delay like bad weather and a problem with a drilled shaft.
"There isn't really one thing I can point to, it's just a series of things that added up," said Wojtowicz.
Only a few minor final touches remain in order for drivers to access the Lesner Bridge. Crews still have to put the tendons in the last stand, disassemble the temporary gantry, put up rails, and apply the lights to the bridge.
Once complete, the Lesner Bridge will be able to handle six lanes of traffic. The bridge will have two lanes going each way, and one shoulder land on each side. Additionally, each side will have a 10-foot wide path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Despite the delays, Wojtowicz said a job done right is worth the wait.
"We would rather build a bridge late and right, than on time and wrong," he said.
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