VDOT News - Fredericksburg

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Travelers crossing the Eltham Bridge on Route 30/33 over the Pamunkey River between the Town of West Point and New Kent County are asked to be alert for crews, equipment and work zone barrier as a year-long maintenance effort begins on the bridge in late January.

Minimal delays are anticipated for travelers crossing the bridge during the project. The Eltham Bridge will continue to open on request for marine traffic in the Pamunkey River.

Between Jan. – June 2021, a single eastbound lane will be closed on the four-lane Eltham Bridge. Work zone barrier will be placed along the closed eastbound lane. Both westbound lanes will remain open.

From July – Dec. 2021, a single westbound travel lane will close, with crews working behind barrier. When a westbound lane is closed, both eastbound lanes will be open.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and its contractor, BDI Inc., will use the closed travel lanes for their equipment access to identify bridge beams locations that need future repair.

Once the contractor has completed work on the Eltham Bridge, a work zone with a similar traffic pattern will be planned for the Lord Delaware Bridge, which carries Route 33 over the Mattaponi River between the Town of West Point and King and Queen County.

“The Eltham and Lord Delaware bridges are safe for travel, and our regular inspections find these bridges consistently remain in fair condition,” said Annette Adams, P.E., VDOT Fredericksburg District Structure and Bridge Engineer. “However, since opening these bridges in the mid-2000s, we have learned that a portion of the grout used during construction did not properly set in all locations. Since this finding, we have been steadily exploring options for repair, while closely tracking the bridges’ condition. This project will allow crews to further investigate and identify specific locations for grout rehabilitation. It ensures we have the best information possible to carry out the construction project which is necessary to improve the bridges and ensure their future long-term service for these communities.”

During the week of Monday, Jan. 18 - Friday, Jan. 22, crews will have a mobile single lane closure along the Eltham Bridge eastbound lanes between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to apply markings for future work zone barrier placement.

Work zone barriers are expected to be placed closing a single eastbound lane during the week of January 25-29.

Regularly scheduled bridge inspections will occur during this project, and inspection crews will use the established work zone as much as possible. Regular VDOT maintenance operations will continue on the Eltham and Lord Delaware bridges, to include snow removal, spot pavement repair, and debris removal.

After 2022, the construction project to rehabilitate the bridge is anticipated to be scheduled.

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VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District includes the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford in the Fredericksburg area; Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster and Westmoreland counties in the Northern Neck; Essex, Gloucester, King & Queen, King William, Mathews and Middlesex counties in the Middle Peninsula.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.