ISLE OF WIGHT — The Virginia Department of Transportation announced all northbound lanes on the Route 17 James River Bridge (JRB), from Isle of Wight County to Newport News, will close to traffic starting as early as Friday, March 7 at 9 p.m. and continuing through Monday, March 10 at 5 a.m.
The northbound closure is necessary for contractor crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to replace one full panel of the bridge’s grid deck in need of repair.
The bridge’s grid deck serves as the primary load-bearing surface for traffic, acting as a structural platform that distributes the weight of vehicles across the supporting beams of the bridge, according to VDOT. The repair work on the grid deck panel located in the northbound lanes is estimated to take approximately 40 hours.
For motorists traveling northbound from Isle of Wight to Newport News, a signed detour will be in place directing traffic to detour through Suffolk via the Godwin Bridge (Route 17) to the I-664 interchange and Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel as the primary alternate route, VDOT said.
Additional alternate routes include the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry and Route 460, it added.
For motorists traveling southbound from Newport News to Isle of Wight, the southbound lanes on the JRB are scheduled to remain open, and maritime traffic will not be affected by the closure, according to VDOT. Vessels will still be able to use the channel, and bridge lift operations will continue as usual.
The work is weather- and schedule-dependent. If necessary, the back-up inclement weather dates are March 14-17, or March 21-24, during the same time frame.
Before hitting the road, motorists are encouraged to consider using VDOT’s free 511 Virginia traffic tools, or the free 511-integrated Waze GPS app, to check for the most up-to-date road and travel conditions.
VDOT’s 511Virginia.org website and mobile app offer information about construction, traffic, incidents, and congestion, as well as access to traffic cameras, weather-related impacts and more.
For more information on the project, visit the VDOT website at www.VDOT.Virginia.gov/
