The Jordan Bridge , officially named the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge , is a tolled highway fixed bridge which carries State Route 337 over the Southern Branch Elizabeth River between the City of Portsmouth into the City of Chesapeake in South Hampton Roads , Virginia . The new crossing is an all-electronic toll facility that eliminated bridge lifts and height and weight restrictions and restored a vital river crossing for the Hampton Roads region.
16-556: Originally opened in 1928, it was privately built by an organization led by South Norfolk businessmen Wallace and Carl Jordan. It was later renamed the Jordan Bridge, principally to honor long-standing manager Carl M. Jordan. The oldest drawbridge in Virginia, the 80-year-old bridge had reached the end of its useful life by 2008. Faced with diminishing returns on millions of dollars in needed maintenance and unknown reliability, it
32-574: A free pedestrian walkway/jogging path. The new South Norfolk Jordan Bridge opened on October 26, 2012, at a reported construction cost of $ 142 million. On December 16, 2022, a fire occurred at a trash plant near the Jordan Bridge, causing it to close. The bridge was re-opened January 7, 2023. 36°48′30″N 76°17′24″W / 36.8083°N 76.2900°W / 36.8083; -76.2900 South Norfolk, Virginia 36°47′40″N 76°16′20″W / 36.79444°N 76.27222°W / 36.79444; -76.27222 South Norfolk
48-643: A private infrastructure investment firm. Originally known as the Norfolk-Portsmouth Bridge , the bridge was planned and financing organized by South Norfolk businessman Carl M. Jordan , who operated Jordan Brothers Lumber Co. with his brother Wallace. The Jordan brothers brought lumber from the Great Dismal Swamp to their lumber mill in South Norfolk, and had come to believe that the existing Norfolk County Ferry Service
64-477: A ship occurred on June 13, 1943. The most recent collision with a ship was in January, 2004. In more recent years, there were periodic problems with the lift mechanism in addition to occasional collisions. When stuck in the "down" position, navigation for ocean-going vessels was severely inhibited, leading to concerns by shipping companies, ship operators and the U.S. Navy , whose shipyard is just downstream from
80-543: Is heavily used by ocean-going vessels to reach industrial facilities and a shipyard upstream from the Jordan Bridge. Traffic bound for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway also passes through this point. The Jordan Bridge was struck by ships several times. On June 2, 1939, an oil tanker struck it, and the east tower and lift span collapsed into the river, injuring two bridge employees, and closing it for more than 6 months. Another major collision of
96-624: The Virginia General Assembly , South Norfolk and Norfolk County merged to form the independent city of Chesapeake . The new name was also selected through a voter referendum. The Gateway at South Norfolk was the city's first major redevelopment project generated by the city's South Norfolk Revitalization Plan. When completed, The Gateway at South Norfolk, which will span 6 acres (24,000 m ), will feature 133 condominiums and loft apartments as well as 54,000 square feet (5,000 m ) of retail and office space. Harris-Judah LLC,
112-524: The bridge and its approaches have only one lane in each direction, traffic backups and delays often occurred in more recent years. The Jordan Bridge was the oldest drawbridge in Virginia. Formerly operated by the City of Chesapeake's Department of Public Works, it had a restricted weight limit of 3 tons. Daily toll revenue was approximately $ 5,000. The toll (collected on the Chesapeake side) for both direction
128-604: The bridge was renamed for Carl Jordan, who also had served as general manager and executive vice president of the South Norfolk Bridge Commission, Inc., a non-profit corporation organized in 1944 to manage the bridge. Ownership of the bridge was transferred to the City of Chesapeake after the Bridge Commission's indebtedness was finally satisfied in 1977. The Southern Branch Elizabeth River
144-483: The builder/developer behind The Gateway at South Norfolk, has announced that affordable, single family homes are available in Chesapeake's South Norfolk area. The homes, which are row-style, are located on B Street and a total of approximately 15 will be available. Construction started in 2010 and ended in 2014 with only one public library and one apartment complex compared to the 133 Harris-Judah LLC promised. This City of Chesapeake, Virginia state location article
160-584: The cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach and a large portion of the City of Chesapeake. The Jordan Bridge also had served effectively as an alternate route when other key river crossings in the area were congested or closed, most notably after Hurricane Isabel in October 2003 when the Midtown Tunnel connecting Portsmouth and Norfolk was flooded. Tolls on the Jordan Bridge were temporarily suspended, and daily traffic increased by 20,000 vehicles. As
176-547: The early 1920s, streetcars ran from Ocean View in Norfolk, to South Norfolk. There was a ferry that docked at the end of Indian River Road and crossed the Southern Branch Elizabeth River to Portsmouth. The much larger independent city of Norfolk expanded rapidly into the adjacent communities after World War II . In 1963, after a referendum in South Norfolk and Norfolk County and with approval from
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#1732780910568192-506: The span. The equipment was mechanically obsolete, and repair parts were often unavailable. In recent years, the bridge was heavily traveled during morning and afternoon rush hours by motor vehicle traffic. A substantial portion of those were shipyard workers from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard . Navy personnel assigned to the ships docked there also commute from homes in the eastern portion of South Hampton Roads, which includes
208-448: Was 50 cents for motorcycles , 75 cents for two axle vehicles, $ 1.00 for three axles and $ 1.25 for four axles. There were no facilities for electronic toll collection . Necessary repairs requiring too much expenditure, caused the city council to vote to shut down the bridge in October 2008. The new bridge has a bi-directional, tiered toll structure based on vehicle class, peak/off peak period, and E-ZPass/Pay-by-Plate payment option, with
224-803: Was an independent city in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia , United States, and is now a section of the city of Chesapeake , one of the cities of Hampton Roads which surround the harbor of Hampton Roads and are linked by the Hampton Roads Beltway . Located a few miles south of the larger city of Norfolk along the Southern Branch Elizabeth River , South Norfolk became an incorporated town in Norfolk County in 1919. Within three years, it became an independent city. In
240-426: Was not dependable enough for the needs of their business, or others in the community. It was a Waddell & Harrington -type vertical-lift drawbridge and was designed by Harrington, Howard, & Ash (engineers) of Kansas City, Missouri . It was completed at a cost of $ 1.25 million, and opened on August 24, 1928, as a toll bridge with a ceremony attended by Virginia's Governor Harry F. Byrd . Many years later,
256-454: Was permanently closed on November 8, 2008. A replacement bridge, built with 100% private funds, and paid for by tolls, was approved by Chesapeake City Council on January 27, 2009. The new South Norfolk Jordan Bridge was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2010, but was finally completed and opened for use on October 27, 2012. It is owned and operated by United Bridge Partners, a business consortium consisting of Figg Bridge Builders and
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