Truckers can expect traffic congestion as they detour around a construction project on the James River Bridge, which carries Route 17 between Newport News and Isle of Wight County in Virginia.
The bridge is closed to all traffic today, Friday, Jan. 12, at 1 a.m. and will remain closed to traffic through 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16 as the Virginia Department of Transportation replaces the 80 counterweight wire ropes necessary to lift the bridge span for marine traffic, that are housed in the two towers of the bridge.
The bridge will also be closed to traffic from 1 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2, through 5 a.m.Tuesday, Feb. 6 for more work.
As part of the project, the contractor will implement two separate, 100-hour full operational closures at the bridge for maritime traffic that require bridge openings and all vehicular traffic.
Bridge lift restrictions may extend up to an additional 24 hours through 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 and Feb. 7, to ensure the bridge span is aligned and operating properly after a series of test lifts, according to VDOT.
During the full closures, all traffic will be detoured to the Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel as one of the primary alternate travel routes. Additional alternate routes include the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry and Route 460.
VDOT said truckers should:
- Expect increased traffic congestion on detour and alternate routes.
- Avoid these dates if you have an oversized vehicle and need an escort.
Oversized vehicle permits at the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel will be limited to overnight hours.
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