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

  1. ^ "Great Bridge Bridge (Battlefield Blvd)". City of Chesapeake, Virginia. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway". US Army Corps of Engineers. March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.

36°43′15.1″N 76°14′23.8″W / 36.720861°N 76.239944°W / 36.720861; -76.239944

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