Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge

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Judith Stewart Dresser Bridge (also known locally as the Barrett's Ferry Bridge) is a swing-span movable bridge which carries State Route 5 across the Chickahominy River between Charles City County and James City County in eastern Virginia. It connects popular tourism destinations of the James River Plantations with Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.

[edit] 1939 bridge

The bridge was built in 1939. It is a two-lane facility with a history of opening-closing failures and expensive repairs, as well as height restrictions due to clearance being 13'11" tall. It functions as a swing-span bridge, meaning it pivots on its axis to allow boats to pass through an opening rather than lifting upward like a drawbridge. The bridge is 2,025 feet long and is 24 feet wide from curb to curb. It was built using timber pilings and has a concrete and steel driving deck. Among repair problems as the bridge has aged has been been shifting of the timber pilings. The current bridge has a height restriction for boats of only 12 feet except when opened. ^[1]

[edit] new bridge to open by 2010

The current bridge is scheduled to be replaced in 2010, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Construction on the new span, estimated to cost $33.6 million, began in 2007. The new bridge at this location will cross slightly west of the existing span. The fixed-span bridge will rise 52 feet above the water and alleviate the necessity of stopping highway traffic to open the movable span on the current bridge, as well as be more convenient for the recreational boaters who be able to pass freely upriver to a point near Walker's Dam.

The new bridge will also have a much wider travel surface to accommodate bikers and pedestrians. According to VDOT, it will feature two 12-foot travel lanes, two 10-foot shoulders and a 10-foot shared-use path (separated from the main roadway by a divider) incorporated into the Virginia Capital Trail project. ^[2]