Great Bridge Bridge

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.^[1][2] 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.

The Battle of Great Bridge was fought at this crossing on December 9, 1775.

The current Great Bridge Bridge was completed in 2004.

A bridge over the Elizabeth River estuary in the 18th century

In September 2018 a lightning strike disable the bridge's electronics, requiring manual operation.^[3] Normally the bridge opens automatically, on the hour, from 6 am to 7 pm.^[4] 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.^[2] A raised causeway spanned the rest of the estuary.^[5]

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).^[6]

During the American Civil War a bridge crossing at Great Bridge was destroyed.^[2]

A new two-lane swing bridge replaced the late 19th century bridge in 1943.^[2]