RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Jeff Caldwell 804-524-6179 richmondinfo@VirginiaDOT.org Sara Cross 804-524-6387

RICH-43b June 30, 2004

VDOT AND COUNTIES PROVIDE SHUTTLES TO REDUCE IMPACT OF ROUTE 5 BRIDGE CLOSURE

CHARLES CITY COUNTY—The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Charles City County and James City County are collaborating to minimize the inconvenience caused by the closing of the Route 5 bridge spanning the Chickahominy River. This evening, the entities will begin shuttling citizens across the bridge connecting Charles City and James City counties using golf carts, and will then provide opportunities for Williamsburg Area Transit (WAT) bus service to connect to Williamsburg.

The golf cart shuttle service will be provided from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekdays. Motorists can park their vehicles at the Word of Life Church (at the intersection of routes 5 and 645) in Charles City County and at the Chickahominy Riverfront Park in James City County to catch the shuttle across the bridge. This service will assist those commuters who have parked a vehicle on either side of the bridge to avoid the lengthy detour put in place when VDOT closed the bridge due to safety concerns on June 24. This service will be provided until the bridge reopens to vehicular traffic in mid July or it becomes unsafe due to construction work or the bridge’s continuing deterioration.

James City County is coordinating bus services to improve access on the eastern side of the bridge. Beginning June 30, WAT will operate six trips daily Monday through Friday from the James City County side of the bridge to the Williamsburg Transportation Center located at 468 North Boundary Street.

Each weekday morning, a bus will leave the bridge at 6:25 a.m., 7:25 a.m., and 8:25 a.m. and arrive at the Transportation Center at 6:50 a.m., 7:50 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. respectively. In the afternoons, a bus will leave the Transportation Center at 5:10 p.m., 6:10 p.m., and 7:10 p.m. and arrive at the bridge at 5:35 p.m., 6:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m.

The route will travel from the Route 5 bridge directly to the Transportation Center with no stops. The primary purpose of the route is to assist people to get to and from work while the bridge is closed.

Charles City County will pay the full cost of the route, and the route will be open to the public. There will be no fare for persons riding this route, and transfers will be free.

“VDOT, Charles City County and James City County are making every effort to minimize the inconvenience of the 63-mile detour,” said VDOT’s Richmond district administrator, Thomas A. Hawthorne, P.E. “However, we hope the community understands this bridge continues to deteriorate rapidly and we will halt this service immediately if we feel we are putting individual’s safety in jeopardy or are compromising the contractors goal to have one lane of lightweight traffic open and the swing-span operational again on July 15.”

VDOT engineers have been monitoring the bridge closely over the recent weeks as multiple maintenance issues have developed. A deteriorating bridge pier has shifted, forcing VDOT to first restrict the bridge to one lane, then prohibit vehicles over three-tons and prohibit bridge openings for over-height river traffic, and finally to close the bridge to motor vehicles. Despite efforts to halt the deterioration, the gap between the fixed and movable portions of the bridge continues to widen. To date, the gap now measures 7.75 inches.

Motorists needing to drive Route 5 are advised to follow the posted detour until further notice. Eastbound motorists should take Route 155 to Route 60 to Route 614 to Route 5. Westbound motorists should take Route 614 to Route 60 to Route 155 to Route 5. Detours are posted.

VDOT has expedited the repair process by issuing an emergency contract to repair alignment
issues discovered over the past few weeks. Using an emergency contract, VDOT is able to award
a contractor the project within a matter of weeks, rather than months. VDOT expects the contractor to begin work July 6.

VDOT has developed an ambitious goal to have the swing-span portion of the bridge operational again in mid-July. This will allow over-height boat traffic to again pass through the bridge. VDOT’s goal is to also restore the bridge to one lane of lightweight traffic controlled by a signal in mid-July. Crews will then focus on lifting the weight restriction in early August and finally to fully reopen the bridge to two-way vehicular traffic by the end of August. These goals may change as the bridge continues to deteriorate.

VDOT engineers believe that repeated exposure to heavy truck traffic has likely caused deterioration in the pier supporting the eastern approach span where it meets the moveable section of the bridge. As part of the repair process, crews will drive four new concrete piles into the riverbed and will build a crutch pier to help carry the weight of the structure until the bridge can be replaced.

The bridge is commonly known as the Barretts Ferry Bridge and was officially named the Judith Stewart Dresser Memorial Bridge in 2003. The swing-span truss bridge was originally constructed in 1939 and carries one lane of traffic each direction. The bridge stands 2,025 feet long with 29 spans and is 24 feet wide from curb to curb. It was constructed using timber pilings and has a concrete and steel driving deck. It functions as a swing-span structure, meaning it pivots on an axis to allow boats to pass through an opening rather than lifting upward as is often the case with drawbridges.

For more information about this bridge and other projects visit www.VirginiaDOT.org.