Drawbridge in Chesapeake, Virginia, US
The
Battle of Great Bridge was fought at this crossing on December 9, 1775.
The current Great Bridge Bridge was completed in 2004.
A bridge over the Elizabeth River estuary in the 18th century
The Great Bridge Bridge is a double-leaf
rolling bascule
drawbridge that carries Battlefield Blvd (
State Route 168 Business ) across the
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in
Chesapeake, Virginia .
[1]
[2] It was constructed in 2004 by the
Army Corps of Engineers and operated by the
City of Chesapeake . It has a mean daily traffic of 35,000 vehicles. The current bridge cost $46 million.
In September 2018 a lightning strike disable the bridge's electronics, requiring manual operation.
[3] Normally the bridge opens automatically, on the hour, from 6 am to 7 pm.
[4] Vessels can request an opening from 7 pm to 6 am.
Earlier bridges
On December 9, 1775, when the
Battle of Great Bridge was fought, a bridge spanned the main channel of the
Elizabeth River , in the middle of a broad marshy estuary.
[2] A raised causeway spanned the rest of the estuary.
[5]
A new bridge was built at
Great Bridge, Virginia , in 1859, after the construction of
Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal (which is part of the
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway ).
[6]
During the
American Civil War a bridge crossing at Great Bridge was destroyed.
[2]
A new two-lane
swing bridge replaced the late 19th century bridge in 1943.
[2]
References
^
"Great Bridge Bridge (Battlefield Blvd)" .
City of Chesapeake, Virginia . Retrieved 2012-06-15 .
^
a
b
c
d
Raymond Harper (March 11, 2018).
"The history of the Great Bridge Bridge dates to at least 1770" .
The Virginian-Pilot . Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^
"Great Bridge bridge expects extended closures after lightning strike causes electrical issues" .
WTKR .
Chesapeake, Virginia . September 9, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-27 . After being struck by lightning Saturday evening, electrical issues with the Great Bridge bridge will require the bridge to be opened manually.
^
"Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway" .
US Army Corps of Engineers . March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^
Benson John Lossing (1850).
"The Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution: Or, Illustrations, by Pen and Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence, Volume 1" .
Harper & Brothers . p. 327.
ISBN
9780871520555 . Retrieved 2019-10-27 .
^
Geoffrey Henry (July 2003).
"National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal" (PDF) .
Virginia Department of Historic Resources . Archived from
the original (PDF) on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2019-05-11 .
Water crossings
Bridges Tunnels Bridge–Tunnels Ferry
Aviation, rail and transit services
Mass transit Intercity rail Commercial aviation General aviation Military aviation
Planned projects
36°43′15.1″N 76°14′23.8″W / 36.720861°N 76.239944°W / 36.720861; -76.239944