Safety trumps convenience in Jordan Bridge closure, officials say

I’ve seen the same reports you speak of Martin and agree it’s in bad shape. But this isn’t a bridge to nowhere, it’s still standing and providing the needed service of connecting our two fair cities. There are 3 options here, repair, replace or scrap. Chesapeake City Council is bent on scrapping it, hence will be the bridge to the scrap yard if they have their way. I rarely use the bridge but I can see the impact its loss will have on other roads when it’s closed. People who don’t even know of its existence will feel the impact with heavy congestion on other roadways. Portsmouth has an interest in this too. What is their stance?

I've seen structural reports/inspections on this bridge. It's in very bad shape. Truth is, if many people saw this info, they wouldn't even want to use the bridge because it's in such bad shape (even though I still use it almost daily). Closing it has to be the right move.

The time has come. Building a new bridge or tunnel system can't wait any longer. We don't need Louise Lucas Hotels and what's the sense in building a TCC for our future generations when they can't get to it. And we don't need expansions of current interstate systems like I-64 or West Norfolk Freeway only to bottleneck at their respective bridge and/or tunnels. Here's an idea: WE NEED A NEW BRIDGE OR TUNNEL!!!

Money isn't as much an issue as it's being made out to be. There's so much money out there it just has to be allocated properly and the longer we wait the more expensive it's going to get. We have to go big picture here. When you have an artery blockage you get a bypass done. The more time goes by and nothing is done the more small business die, the more time we spend in our vehicles wasting fuel rather than spending time with our families or spending money in order to perform our daily fu

So what else is new?! Hmm, wonder how much money it cost to replace the Great Bridge Bridge?? Granted they do have 35K crossing per day vs. a paltry 7K over the Jordan. Note: 35K = free-ride / 7K = pay $$. The revitalization of South Norfolk is a wonder to behold…all 3 blocks of it. With the bridge being decommissioned it’s kind of like being invited to the banquet table, enjoying one bite, then having the chair pulled out from under you. It was the private non-profit enterprise of Mr. Jordan that built this bridge. After the debts were cleared in 77 it was passed to the city. A gift horse is to be valued & cared for, not neglected & shot. A ramification I’ve yet to see City Council pick up on is the loss of revenue to SoNo when people going to work, detour South Norfolk totally. Now what’s the point of this revitalization?...To turn South Norfolk into a parking lot? I hope not.

"A vehicle being chased by police drove onto the Gilmerton Bridge as it was opening this afternoon, broke through a railing, and landed in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, police say.

The suspect, wanted on felony fraud charges, was pulled from the water and arrested, said Chesapeake Police Officer Dorienne Boykin. The suspect had minor cuts to the neck and the arm.

The bridge will be closed from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. while the vehicle is taken from the water, Boykin said."....from today's Pilot

Tell me again why we don't need the Jordan? The main alternative to the Jordan will be closed for two hours during the after work rush period. Nice.

We have paid our taxes and fees to the City, State and DMV to maintain our roads and bridges. Now you suggest we pay more!
I think I will now tell my customers after they pay for something that they need to pay again as I spent the money for said services on something else!

If you work for the City please say so as it sure seems that way.

Where would we have been without the Jordan Bridge when flooding from Isabel caused the Midtown Tunnel to flood? What do commuters do when there is an accident or breakdown in the Downtown Tunnel?

The traffic issues have grown over the years, not decreased. The Jordan needs to either be replaced or maintained....the other crossings cannot absorb an additional 7000 cars per day.

I still say I smell a rat in all this...and I suspect it has to do with the development going over on the Chesapeake side of the Jordan!

Replace the span (as the current one will fail), but charge a $10 toll each way.

I grow tired of hearing from the minority (yes, minority) of individuals that use this aging bridge when there are alternative routes, that would use less fuel (compared to sitting in toll/lift traffic) in your commute.

The economic impact of closing the bridge is severe. The covenience of using the bridge is high. I don't think City Council purposely let the bridge fall in disrepair so they could promote mass transit. The city has spent money on the maintenance of the bridge - and their efforts have paid off by extending the life of the span by 20 to 40 years. A comment was made that the city has had 80 years to plan for the new bridge. That is a true statement. However, at the first mention of a tax increase, the citizens want to vote the person off of council. I do believe now is the time for council to put together a plan for the Gilmerton and to replace the Jordan. Tolls & taxes are needed to go forward.

If anybody has doubts about the competency of the present and past city councils, this should prove it.

nor do I purport to be an expert on infrastructure or the niceties of transportation, but it is very plain that closing the Jordan Bridge will have an extremely negative effect on traffic on all of the alternate routes from Chesapeake/Norfolk to Portsmouth. It is absolutely incumbent upon the planners and appropriators of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Norfolk to find a way to preserve this crossing, whether it is a complete overhaul of the structure (which frankly scares the tar out of me every time I cross it) or a replacement bridge. Resolution of this problem is beneficial to all three cities and they need to work together to solve this. This is an excellent example of how the independent cities of Hampton Roads are crippled by their own "independence" and why we can never seem to solve the ridiculous transportation issues around here! Work together people, for the good of all the people!!!!

I understand that most of us posters are not structural engineers, but most of us in our own daily lives take preventative measures as well as budget for future expenses. So, why hasn't the City of Chesapeake done more preventative maintenance? The bridge is 80 years old, so the city should have known that it will need to be replaced. Why not have a contingency plan in place? It is like we tune our engines and change the oil to keep or cars running longer and longer and when it gets old we budget and plan to replace it. So, how is a bridge any different? Heck, we have had 80 years to plan for a new one. I bet if there were new condos nearby the bridge would be replaced.

A bridge out in Suffolk: closed and demolished. Now the Jordan Bridge. The Gilmerton is nearing the same kind of shape. Our highways have got so many potholes in them you would think this was some sort of third world country. Why would anyone want to move here with such traffic inhibitors?

It is amazing how our government can find all kinds of money for new buildings, new shopping centers or other pet projects but they can't find money for essential infrastructure items such as our highways and bridges. It will be great to have all those nice buildings and shopping centers - just too bad no one can get to them!

I feel that this bridge and others will be allowed to fall in disrepair so the Council can close them due to saftey reasons. NOW,... they can point out how overcrowded our roads are and they will start pushing hard for MASS TRANSIT. This is a no brainer people. They think we are dumber than dirt, as some of us are, so they will allow theses bridges to fall in disrepair while all the while calculating when to make a big push for mass transit. Wait and see!!

Apparently, Larry doesn't use the bridge either.

Who cares how long a bridge takes to build, the toll elements take on the bridge or the wear and tear on parts. I sailed as an engineer on ships in the 90's that were built in the 40's due to the fact they had allocated money spent on what it was allocated for, Maintenance! If the owner of said ships had spent all money generated on other things besides the maintenance and upkeep of said ships then they would have been in the disrepair our bridges are.

Everything wears out at some point and time, learn to accept it and use your limited knoledge for something you know.

I wonder how many of the posters are a structural engineer? For that matter, do any of the posters even understands what happens to a steel bridge when exposed to the elements, the daily pounding of traffic on the deck, or the stress on the gears that raise the structure for one day, or for more than 80 years. I doubt any of the posters were even 80 years old; thus the bridge has been open to traffic longer than they have been on earth. 80 years is a long time folks; the bridge is past its useful life. Installing a traffic light to space out the weight of cars, having private individuals buy the bridge for an investment, using one of the shipyards to rehabilitate it; these ideas makes no sense. To engineer a replacement bridge would take more than a year of an engineering firm's time. To construct the bridge would take well over 2 years. At best, a new bridge is 3 years out, if it was started today. The urgenc

if the City closes the bridge they can waste that 23 million in the "Enterprise Account" on other things that will benefit the City Leaders that are in favor of closing the bridge.

The shame of it all is that the city let the bridge fall into such a state of disrepair. If safety were ever a concern, I don't think we'd be having this conversation because the bridge would have been properly maintained. I've never used the Jordan Bridge in my commutes, so I can't comment on its utility to those who do use it, but my beef is that the gov't allowed it to get to this stage of disrepair. What if the citizens of SONO had to evacuate? How would that be accomplished now that the city is elimiting a means of ingress and egress?

You are right --- The Chesapeake City Council has been very good about seeking others opinions in a multitude of matters. But when the answer is staring you in the face and its a matter of safety as opposed to convenience it really is a no brainer! Sure it's going to be a pain in the saddle blanket. The Jordan Bridge is older than dirt and no matter how you want to spin it has become a SERIOUS safety issue that can't be argued as a political issue!

Where has all the money gone? Government has pilfered the tolls as well as the road funding on pet projects and now are in a pickle. Notice that the City Council is not taking responsibility for their or their predecessor’s actions. Re-elect no one in Chesapeake. Better yet, take them all to court for malfeasance in office.

How about moron's on city council who spend millions on bike paths and convenience's for city employee's instead of using our tax money for what it was intended for, like bridge maintenance for example!
As for SoNo, ha ha ha ha ha fine example of a developer greasing city council's palm. I wonder how many sick people this development will create? That is if they want a view of the Navy Yard and the noise and dust of shipyard work all day and night.

reverse your entry into SoNo from wilson and poindexter, alot more traffic will be generated to increase the visibility of the new SoNo shopping village. Without the Jordan everyone going into SoNo has; indian river rd from capostella bridge or great bridge,the closure is about marketing. Now, what's to stop a private enity from acquiring the bridge as a private enterprise?? It generates moola! and with a few shareholders it can be acquired as a private 'road' bridge, hire area shipbuilders to help rehab it, (they will benefit also). privatize just as they have elsewhere in Virginia. there are more ways than tolls to generate operating funds and a profit and actually lower the toll. So, let's get together, organize, get an injunction to sieze the bridge and start from there - there is demand for this artery to and fro. Save the Jordan. thanks becky. cigim OSHS 71.

The city says that it can not regulate how much traffic goes onto the bridge span therefore it can not guarantee that the weight limit for the bridge will not be exceeded. The city says that from the East side that it can regulate how fast the cars go onto the bridge because of the toll booth, but from the West side cars can freely go onto the bridge one after the other because there is no toll before entering the bridge. Simple solution, use a stop light at the West side of the bridge that allows a car to go once every 10 or 15 seconds so that the weight limit is not exceeded.

The Jordan Bridge is an "Enterprise Account" which means that the toll money goes into a separate account for the bridge only and not into the city's general funds. If you watched the meeting on the bridge (channel 48), the city says that the "Enterprise Account" has 23 MILLION DOLLARS. So, the funds to repair it are there but can these funds be used to replace the same bridge? If the city closes it down, the U.S. Coast Guard will require the city to remove it. If we let this bridge go then the next one to go is the Gilmerton Bridge.

That seems quite ridiculous to suggest a Park-And-Ride lot with express service to go 3 miles up 464, wait in tunnel traffic for 20 to 40 minutes, and then head back down Port Centre to the shipyard. All to replace what used to be a short drive across a bridge.

The only short term solution that makes sense is to add stops at NNSY and South Norfolk to the Elizabeth River Ferry schedule. HRT has three boats in their fleet, and usually two are just sitting as a dock out of service.

1. If the City leaders actually had to use the bridge they would not be closing it. They would find the monies needed for the repairs.
2. If the City is really trying to revitalize SoNo, closing the bridge would eliminate bridge users from stopping in SoNo and spending their money and in return generating tax dollars for the City.