SUFFOLK– After work was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, VDOT crews will resume work on the southbound span of the Route 17 James River Bridge (JRB) this weekend.
Single-lane, weekend closures, for both north— and southbound traffic will begin on Friday, Nov. 2, at 9 p.m. and will continue until Monday, Nov. 5, at 5 a.m. During this closure, the single-lane traffic plan will be in place.
During the weekend work, north—and southbound traffic will be able to use the bridge.
Crews will continue to work on replacing the southbound grid deck. At least six additional weekend lane closures will be required to complete all of the bridge work, and the weekend, single-lane closures will continue until mid-December. Future single lane closures are scheduled as follows:
- Nov. 9, from 9 p.m. through Nov. 12, at 5a.m. (southbound)
- Nov. 16, from 9 p.m. through Nov. 19, at 5 a.m.(southbound)
- No work scheduled over Thanksgiving Holiday weekend
- Nov. 30, from 9 p.m. through Dec. 3, at 5 a.m. (northbound)
Motorists are reminded to use extreme caution when using the crossover and need to pay close attention to the lane markings. Motorists should anticipate delays in both directions and are advised to avoid the Route 17 area near the bridge during weekend work. The Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) can be used as an alternate route.
In addition, on Monday, Nov. 5, crews will perform four, brief bridge lifts to confirm the functionality of the counterweights of the bridge lift mechanism. These lifts will last up to 15 minutes and will occur between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
