CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The partial closure of the Route 168 Bypass Bridge in Chesapeake is creating headaches for drivers.
The city shut down a portion of the bridge after a spud barge crashed into it on May 12.
Roughly a dozen girders, or support beams, hold up the bridge. Some have visible damage.
"It looks like something hit it," said Don Newell, of Chesapeake, as he looked under the bridge.
Above there's another issue.
"The regular road up there is a horror show," Newell added.
Drivers said this is the worst backup they've seen. Some said they were waiting several hours to get across.
"And I was scared to death because I was almost out of gas," said Patricia Barnes, of Chesapeake.
"It's backed up pretty far and moving real slow," added Ed Core, Chesapeake resident.
On Wednesday afternoon, the city announced the bridge was up to two lanes southbound. City leaders said the lanes are offset and, in times of inspections or repairs, may be reduced back to one lane.
TWO lanes of traffic are now open on the southbound Rt. 168 Bypass Bridge. The lanes are narrow and offset, so please use caution through the work zone. The two lanes will be reduced back to one lane whenever work or inspections are underway on the bridge.
— City of Chesapeake (@AboutChesapeake) May 17, 2023
Public works officials said structural engineers inspected the bridge and deemed the structure safe for drivers. They limited the weight being put on the bent girders.
"So, as long as we isolate traffic from being directly over top of that one beam, the bridge is perfectly safe to drive on," said Earl Sorey, the director of public works for the City of Chesapeake.
Some drivers felt more comfortable after they got a look underneath.
"It doesn't look like it's going to fall down or anything," said Newell.
Early estimates put repairs at $750,000. The city intends to cover the expenses.
Officials anticipate it will take around 30 days to fix. Now, they're planning for repairs and sourcing materials. Then they'll straighten the bent beams with heat and reinforce the area.
In the meantime, they ask drivers to be patient, especially during upcoming holidays and events, like Memorial Day weekend and the Chesapeake Jubilee, and closures, like the 24-hour closure of the Centerville Turnpike Bridge between May 17 at 8 p.m. and May 18 at 8 p.m.
"We're also doing a partial activation of our emergency operations center to track all of these ongoing events," said Sorey.
The city plans to use the road shoulder to carry more traffic but tells drivers to be patient and expect delays.
For the latest information on the bridge repair visit: https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/ or text 168BRIDGE to 888777.
