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The Great Bridge Bridge is a double-leaf rolling bascule drawbridge that carries Battlefield Blvd (State Route 168 Business) across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Chesapeake, Virginia. It was constructed in 2004 by the Army Corps of Engineers and operated by the City of Chesapeake. It has a mean daily traffic of 35,000 vehicles. The current bridge cost $46 million.

In September 2018 a lightning strike disable the bridge's electronics, requiring manual operation. Normally the bridge opens automatically, on the hour, from 6 am to 7 pm. Vessels can request an opening from 7 pm to 6 am.

Earlier bridges

On December 9, 1775, when the Battle of Great Bridge was fought, a bridge spanned the main channel of the Elizabeth River, in the middle of a broad marshy estuary. A raised causeway spanned the rest of the estuary.

A new bridge was built at Great Bridge, Virginia, in 1859, after the construction of Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal (which is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway).

During the American Civil War a bridge crossing at Great Bridge was destroyed.

A new two-lane swing bridge replaced the late 19th century bridge in 1943.

References

1. "Great Bridge Bridge (Battlefield Blvd)". City of Chesapeake, Virginia. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
2. ^ Raymond Harper (March 11, 2018). "The history of the Great Bridge Bridge dates to at least 1770". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
3. "Great Bridge bridge expects extended closures after lightning strike causes electrical issues". WTKR. Chesapeake, Virginia. September 9, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-27. After being struck by lightning Saturday evening, electrical issues with the Great Bridge bridge will require the bridge to be opened manually.
4. "Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway". US Army Corps of Engineers. March 6, 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
5. Benson John Lossing (1850). "The Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution: Or, Illustrations, by Pen and Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence, Volume 1". Harper & Brothers. p. 327. ISBN 9780871520555. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
6. Geoffrey Henry (July 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2019-05-11.

v t e Transportation in the Hampton Roads Region
Administered by HRTPO, HRTAC, CBBT Commission, VDOT and Commonwealth Transportation Board
Water crossings	Bridges Berkley Bridge Campostella Bridge Coleman Bridge Gilmerton Bridge High Rise Bridge James River Bridge Jordan Bridge Lesner Bridge Veterans Bridge West Norfolk Bridge Great Bridge Bridge Tunnels Downtown Tunnel Midtown Tunnel Bridge–Tunnels Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel Ferry Jamestown Ferry Elizabeth River Ferry
Aviation, rail and transit services	Mass transit Hampton Roads Transit The Tide (light rail network) Williamsburg Area Transit Authority Suffolk Transit VB Wave Intercity rail Amtrak Northeast Regional Newport News Transportation Center Norfolk station Williamsburg station Commercial aviation Norfolk International Airport Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport General aviation Hampton Roads Executive Airport Suffolk Executive Airport Franklin Municipal Airport Chesapeake Regional Airport Military aviation Chambers Field Langley Air Force Base Naval Air Station Oceana Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress
Planned projects	Elizabeth River Tunnels Project I-64 Widening Southside Peninsula HRBT Expansion Southeastern Parkway US 460 Bypass Virginia Beach Light Rail Extension

36°43′15.1″N 76°14′23.8″W / 36.720861°N 76.239944°W / 36.720861; -76.239944

• Road bridges in Virginia
• Bascule bridges in the United States
• Bridges completed in 2004
• Bridges in Chesapeake, Virginia