Chesapeake staff: Close Jordan Bridge by Nov. 1

on here are the same people who would be demanding the heads of the city's leaders if the bridge were left open and some were killed by a failure of the structure....Mr. Mansfield only cares about the impact that the closing will have on the SoNo project.....the bridge is unsafe, that is a fact...and all of this whinning about the Gilmerton or the extra traffic on the others accesses to Portsmouth does not change that fact.....close it now before someone is hurt or killed!

OK who has had their fingers in the cookie jar and for what. Where did the toll money go???????? I bet if this were in Great Bridge the money would appear. WHAT A SURPRISE. Here we go again. South Norfolk is the step child of chesapeake. Why isn't someone finding out about this money. Lets see, a bike trail, or a bridge from comuters??? I don't have a problem deciding which is more important, why does the city. I am so fed up with Chesapeake, I would move but at this stage in my life I can not afford to.That is said before some smarty pants says move. I was born and raised in South Norfolk, I raised my children here and work in the public schools. Long live South Norfolk. I have history here all the way back to the 1800's. I remember when they used a pontoon bridge in The Great Bridge while the old bridge was being repaired. Of couse we couldn't want to inconvience anyone in that area or make them have to take another route. This is the stupidist thing I have ever seen from Chesapeake. I agree that this decision was made long, long ago, just not made public. Just remember these people will come up for relection sometime, where is your vote going? It really doesn't matter what any o

there was a need and demand for this link across the water. nothing has changed except the work force on both sides of the bridge. it's a travesty to lose this bridge. So Long Sono.

Closing the Jordan Bridge on the proposed schedule is wrong. Somebody needs to remind the City that the Gilmerton Bridge is undergoing construction at the present time, and it is expected to continue into December. Why not delay the closing until the Gilmerton Bridge construction project is completed so as to not clog the other routes that are already overstressed because of the construction? Give the other routes a chance to recover before dumping all of that traffic elsewhere. The City can plan development projects through 2016 in the Comprehensive Plan, but they cannot come up with a hopefully short-term plan to better handle the influx of traffic on already overburdened roads? With the gas crunch that we already have, you are now asking us to sit in long lines of traffic longer and waste fuel. So we can run to the gas stations and pay more in city taxes. What do the citizens of Chesapeake get in return? How about adjusting the bridge opening schedules to avoid the back-ups that occur during rush hour? How about some tax incentives to "reward" us having to adjust our whole days? Something that citizens can see immediate effects of. Something other than rhetoric that be

Ferry fares may have been in the works since May, Mr. Ragsdale, but the closure of the Jordan Bridge has been in the works for much longer, and if HRT didn't know that then they're even more clueless about regional transportation needs than I suspected. The VDOT sufficiency rating for the Jordan Bridge has been steadily dropping for a decade.

But since the 50% rate hike is already a done deal, how at least using some of that extra cash to make long-needed improvements in service, such as extending the morning hours, going from 30- to 20- minute service, or adding new ferry stops near the shipyards in Portsmouth and Berkley?

Where do they plan to park all of those cars while they are taking the shuttle? There is no room except for where they plan to build the Bellharbour Project. The park across the street does not have a large enough lot.

Show me mass transit that will get me to work in under two hours (Kempsville/Centerville to Naval Hospital). If I have to drive 5 miles to get to the nearest Park and Ride, what's the point? I was excited about the MAX bus...but it doesn't go where I need to be.

I am glad to see at least one person mention alternative mass transit. Now is the time to plan for and create a link between Portsmouth and Chesapeake using alternate transportation. Extend the light rail into Portsmouth. It won't be long before Northern Suffolk finds the planning and funding to extend it to their technology corridor. Before you know it, a worker at Lockheed Martin in Northern Suffolk could attend a meeting with an associate at the oceanfront without ever stepping foot in a car.

Where did all the "stolen" toll money go? Not repairs!

"I heard they are going to sell the bridge to Palin"

I am willing to bet there are a lot of people connected to that bridge who wish Palin was their govenor right now. If there msut be pork, I say state and local leaders should be using a really big fork to fill their plate.

The MPO? That is a political group of developers that pretends to be focused in regional issues, appointed on the basis of campaign contributions. Why would the surrounding cities in Tidewater be asked to or required to fund a chesapeake transportation problem? If chesapeake had maintained the bridge they so desired to control, they would not be in this position. Let chesapeake pay if they desire an alternative.

The clock is ticking on the closure of the Jordan Bridge. Tolls collected were to be used for bridge maintenance. Last repairs to the bridge was handled by workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth.
Why not make the Jordan Bridge a "Historical Landmark" and have the federal government repair and repaint the bridge?
The Jordan Bridge is 80 years old and should qualify as an "Historical Landmark" and could be SAVED!!
Chesapeake City Council needs to do more homework before another piece of our history is destroyed!
Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! THE CLOCK IS TICKING!!

If we can add pork for arrows to the bailout package that was passed and signed into law last week, then why didn't our representatives had pork for the bridge?

“They’ve been bent for years on closing the bridge,” said Burnie Mansfield, secretary of the Chesapeake Port Authority and president of the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations. “They’re going to cause a lot of gridlock. When you’re sitting in traffic, think about the people who closed the bridge.”

That's a rich statement coming from someone who, one year ago, endorsed IBE to put an ethanol plant on the Portsmouth side of the Jordan Bridge right next to two neighborhoods. He wasn't so concerned about the "gridlock" of trucks and traffic then. Why is he so up in arms about traffic now?

I hear Obama is into "building bridges between people!" Maybe we should ask him to build us one while he's at it! After all, he can do anything! Or maybe he'll teach us all to walk on water like he can!

Thanks "timberline", I agree with you. The last time the bridge was closed for repairs and they opened it with the "hike rate", I remember the "politicians" saying it would pay for repairs to keep the bridge open. Another lie. Seems like the "politicians" are good at that. I wonder if they'll cut their pay, that should replace the money they "stole" from the bridge fund. Do you think they'll lower the gas prices near the bridge to compensate for the hike to the other side for those of us who go there? No we'll get our taxes raised to. I wonder what the raise in the toll netted, that we got ripped off. Anyone see any documents? Where did that money go? Chesapeake Politicians keep getting rich, Chesapeake Citizens keep getting poorer. More gas, wear and tear on the cars, longer wait, thanks.

Let me correct you about Ferry Fares: these were in the works since the March public hearing so that the ferry fare is the same as bus fare. Please check your facts before posting.

Michael Ragsdale
HRT User Citizen's Advisory Committee

Apparently I was overly generous in suggesting we might be able to get a solution from HRT. Checked their web site, and in apparent expectation of the increased demand, they've implemented a 50% rate hike the Elizabeth River Ferry. Thanks a lot, you've just made it substantially cheaper for me and everyone else with a commute less than 20 miles to keep on driving.

Every person employeed by the city that had anything to do with the lack of planning on this matter should be fired immediately. Anyone that has anything to do with where the toll money from the last 5 years got spent should be fired. PLease wake up Chesapeake voters, it's time to replace each & every city official that had anything to do with letting this situation be ignored for so long. Think about this while we sit in traffic for the next 3 to 5 years.

I'm sorry, but "express bus" is a misnomer for any shuttle bus that tries to get through the Downtown tunnel at rush hour. At best, this is a short-term stopgap solution. If the powers that be can't come up with anything better, anyone who can't afford to lose an extra hour or two of sleep every night better start looking for either a new job on their side of the river or a new home on the other.

As for longer term solutions, how about a light rail spur from Harbor Park to NNSY? There's existing freight rail running the whole way, and functional rail bridges across the Eastern and Southern Branches of the Elizabeth. Just need to start negotiating with Norfolk Southern and the Norfolk Portsmouth Belt Line to build some platforms and share the track...

I heard they are going to sell the bridge to Palin.

November 1 is now the proposed closure date of the Jordan Bridge. When Chesapeake City Council votes on the closure date of the bridge.
Are they going to vote on selling the Jordan Bridge land to the developers of the Bell Harbor Project adjunct to the bridge?
This appears to be the "Good Ole Boy System" at work.
"The Clock Is Ticking! Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock!"