CHINCOTEAGUE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT
Bridge on Rte 175 Over Black Narrows and Lewis Creek Channel, VA
PROJECT DETAILS
- Design Criteria:– Reduce traffic congestion in downtown Chincoteague.– Provide better channel access for boaters.– Reduce bridge openings.– Enhance motorist safety.
- Owner:Virginia Department of Transportation
- Designer:Hardesty & Hanover Engineering
- General Contractor:American Bridge
- Total Project Cost:$68.7 million
- Length:4,035 ft
- Width:43 ft-4 inch
- Date Opened:October 2010
The new Chincoteague Bridge was opened in October 2010, replacing a 1939 swing span bridge. This original bridge had deteriorated to an extent that it required replacement. The town of Chincoteague is famous for its annual Pony Swim and Auction, with more than 1 million tourists each year.
The bridge is a 59-span structure, measuring over 4700 ft with a width of over 43’. Typically 80′ long precast concrete girders were used. At the center of the bridge two 123’-6” steel bascule girders each weighing 400,000 lb enable ship traffic.
Environmental protection restrictions required special consideration as the Colonial-nesting bird chooses to mate and nest in the waters surrounding Chincoteague Island.