Chesapeake bridge will take ‘likely several weeks’ to repair, posing problems for Outer Banks travelers

Damage to the Va. 168 Bypass Bridge on the Chesapeake Expressway will take “likely several weeks” to repair, potentially causing significant delays for commuters and a bulk of traffic heading south to the Outer Banks.

Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard informed Chesapeake city leadership that a spud barge struck the underside of the southbound side of the bridge, damaging one of the girders. Inspectors concluded the bridge was safe to drive on, but subsequent lane closures have caused headaches for drivers.

On Sunday, repair work on the bridge will begin at 2:30 p.m. At that time, the southbound bridge will be reduced back to one lane to give crews room to work. Work will take place day and night to get the bridge back to full capacity “as soon as possible,” according to a tweet from the city.

In an update posted Tuesday, the city said contractors are working on design plans to prepare for the repair, but completing the work will require specialists who need to travel from outside the state. On Wednesday, the city announced that two lanes are open on the southbound route of the bridge, but the bridge will be reduced back to one lane whenever work or inspections are underway.

“The City is working alongside our engineering consultant to determine the necessary vehicle weight restrictions on the bridge during the repair project, as well as developing traffic plans to allow as much traffic as safely possible on the bridge when no work is underway,” the update reads.

Public works director Earl Sorey told City Council Tuesday that he expects to get the plan submission for the repairs early next week, and he expects about 30 days of closures are needed to make the full repair.

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“We’ll also be looking at weekday-versus-weekend traffic,” he said. “So we know that this time of year are heavy as volumes or on the weekends where folks are going to the Outer Banks, so we’ll look at how we can alter traffic patterns to accommodate that.”

The Chesapeake Expressway and the 168 Bypass Bridge serve as a main vein for travelers from Virginia and states farther north heading to the Outer Banks. According to the city of Chesapeake, the stretch of the expressway between Kempsville Road and Mount Pleasant Road sees about 65,000 vehicles per day. There isn’t a current estimate of how long delays have been during peak travel hours, but city spokesperson Heath Covey told The Pilot in an email on Tuesday that the closure will have “ripple effects” on other routes in Chesapeake.

“We did (Monday) see a roughly 17% increase in traffic volumes of the Veterans Bridge. That was compared to the previous Monday,” Sorey said. “So it’s not exact science, but we are seeing an uptick. I believe those that are that are inclined to use that are already finding their way there. We’ll continue to monitor that, but I expect that number to hold fairly true throughout the closure on 168.”

Traffic engineers are analyzing and monitoring traffic signals to help ease the burden on different routes, but the city says that it will only have “a minor impact” on overall traffic flows. Weight restrictions have also been put in place, barring dump trucks and larger commercial vehicles from using the bridge. Smaller work trucks, box trucks, recreational vehicles, buses and personal pickup trucks are all permitted to continue to use the southbound bridge.

Tuesday’s update also said that city leadership will be asking the Coast Guard to reevaluate height restrictions for the 168 Bypass Bridge to prevent future vessel strikes.

Drivers looking to go to the Great Bridge neighborhood or farther south can use Battlefield Boulevard instead of the expressway. Sorey said the city has permission from the Coast Guard to deviate from openings scheduled at the nearby Great Bridge Bridge. The city will skip the 8 a.m. opening and the 5 p.m. opening on a daily basis to alleviate traffic during its heaviest times.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com