After a three month investigation, VDOT still doesn't know why there's been a spike in crashes on the James River Bridge.
“At that this time the cause of the crashes are inconclusive. There's no structural deficiencies found in the grid deck so far, based on skit testing that was performed,” officials say.
VDOT officials say they noticed more crashes were happening after the installation of the new grid deck.
They say twenty crashes took place February through July.
They also say most of them happened while heading southbound in wet weather and involved light trucks or SUVs.
In early July, a 20-year-old woman died after crashing her SUV while driving over the grid deck in the rain.
Although VDOT officials don't know the exact cause of that crash or any of the others, they believe speed and weather played a role.
That's why they say they will put up more signs and install steel studs on the grid deck - something they say will create more friction on the surface making it less slippery.
“We have started the procurement process so we should be in a position to award a contract in the first part of August,” officials say.
