The James River Bridge (JRB) will close to northbound traffic from Isle of Wight County to Newport News on Friday, March 7 at 9 p.m. to Monday, March 10 at 5 a.m. The closure is necessary for contractor crews with PCL Construction to make repairs to the bridge's grid deck. 

Backup inclement weather dates

This work is weather-dependent. If unable to implement the closures during the scheduled dates above, VDOT will provide advance notice to the public should the contractor need to utilize the following approved backup dates instead: March 14-17, with March 21-24 as a secondary backup if weather impacts continue.

Motorist and Maritime traffic impacts

Vehicular Traffic: The northbound lanes on the JRB from Isle of Wight to Newport News will be closed. The JRB will remain open to southbound traffic traveling from Newport News to Isle of Wight County.

Maritime Traffic: Maritime traffic will not be affected by the closure.

Primary detour

Traffic on Route 17 from Isle of Wight County headed toward Newport News will be detoured through Suffolk across the Godwin Bridge to the I-664 interchange and the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT). Alternate routes include Route 460 and the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry.

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What to expect during closure

Commuter

• Expect increased traffic congestion on detour and alternate routes.
• Plan ahead and allow for extra travel time.
• Avoid non-essential trips when possible.

Maritime Traffic

• Vessels will still be able to use the channel, and bridge lift operations will continue as usual.

For more information, visit www.VDOT.Virginia.gov/JRBClosures