PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It's a roadblock some drivers thought would only last a week, maybe even two weeks. However, the closure of the Portsmouth side of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge has lasted more than three weeks.
A spokesperson for Waste Innovations, which runs the Wheelabrator waste facility site in Portsmouth, said workers closed the access to the bridge on December 16, after a fire at the facility on Elm Avenue severely damaged the conveyor belt hanging overhead.
The city's fire department said the structure is now unstable and too dangerous to drive under.
RELATED: Repairs start on waste facility that caught fire, partially closing the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge
Construction crews brought in a crane to allow workers to reach the conveyor belt and remove the damaged pieces. The conveyor belt hanging over the access to the bridge on the Portsmouth side now hangs onto broken and burnt pieces attached to the facility.
Willicia Woolridge usually takes the Jordan Bridge to Portsmouth, where she works on the weekends. She says her detour now adds extra time to her route to work.
"It is pretty tedious trying to get back and forth," said Woolridge. "It adds like 30 minutes because the weekend traffic just adds more time."
Business owners in South Norfolk say they are seeing less foot traffic through their doors.
Woolridge said she looks forward to finding an easier way to work, sooner rather than later, saying "We really need the Jordan Bridge back! Yes, we do."
A spokeswoman for Waste Innovations said her team hopes to have the access to the bridge re-opened by the second week of January. In a statement she said:
“We are doing everything we can to expedite the bridge re-opening. The cranes are currently on site and being assembled so that we can start to bring down the damaged pieces of the conveyor.
We hope to have the road reopened for next week, but safety remains our priority and will lead the timeline.”
Investigators said they are still looking into the cause of the fire.