NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A heads up for drivers who commute across the James River Bridge (JRB): expect lane closures throughout November as work begins on the bridge's Wire Ropes and Replacement Project.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said there will be mobile, single-lane closures northbound on November 9, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and brief, intermittent stoppages southbound:
- Nov. 9, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Nov. 10, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Single lane closures in both directions are also scheduled from Nov. 13 - 16 and again on Nov. 20 - 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
After the work is completed, test bridge lifts will be performed as necessary. The work and scheduled lane closures are weather-permitting and subject to change.
The JRB Wire Rope Replacement Project aims to replace the draw bridge's 40-year-old counterweight wire ropes that are in the bridge's two towers. November's work will focus on the removal and replacement of the bridge's existing auxiliary counterweight ropes, which is ahead of a larger-scale replacement of the main counterweight wire ropes at a later date.
When the time comes to replace those remaining 80 counterweight ropes, the bridge will undergo two continuous 100-hour full bridge closures, spanning over weekends. VDOT has not yet finalized dates for these full closures but they are planned for sometime between November 15, 2023, to February 15, 2024.
For boaters, the bridge cannot conduct any openings while the wires are being worked on and maritime travel impacts may extend to an additional contingency day to ensure the bridge span is aligned and operating properly. However, boats that do not need a bridge opening can continue to use the navigational channel underneath the bridge throughout the project’s duration.
Drivers can use the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) on Interstate 664 as a detour during the JRB closures. Alternate routes will be Route 460 and the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry:
- Traffic from Isle of Wight County heading toward Newport News will be detoured through Suffolk across the Godwin Bridge (Route 17) to the I-664 Interchange and the MMMBT.
- Traffic from Newport News heading toward Isle of Wight will be detoured to I-664 through the MMMBT to exit 9A Route 17/Bridge Road exit in Suffolk, then across the Godwin Bridge (Route 17).
- Traffic from Williamsburg heading toward Isle of Wight County may use the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry as an alternate route.
- Traffic from I-95 Richmond may use Route 460 as an alternate route
More information on the bridge project and its impacts can be found on VDOT's website.