Kings Highway Bridge

Kings Highway Bridge
The former southern terminus of the now closed bridge
Coordinates	36°50′N 76°33′W
Carries	Kings Highway
Crosses	Nansemond River
Locale	Suffolk, Virginia, United States
Named for	Kings Highway
History
Opened	1928
Closed	March 2005
Statistics
Daily traffic	3,300 motorists a day
Location

For the bridge in Philadelphia, see Frankford Avenue Bridge.

Kings Highway Bridge was located on the Nansemond River in the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia, United States. Built in 1928, it carried traffic on the Kings Highway, also known as State Route 125, for over 75 years.

The drawbridge was deemed unsafe and closed to traffic in March 2005 by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). In March 2007, VDOT announced that the bridge would be demolished and removed, with no plans for replacement,^[1] and demolition began in June.^[2] In 2008, several boats struck debris from the old bridge.^[3][4]

About 3,300 motorists a day used the bridge that connected Chuckatuck and Driver. Now, they face detours of as much as 19 miles. The cost of a new bridge for the King's Highway crossing was estimated at $48 million in 2006, far more than could be recovered through collection of tolls at that location.^[5]

Proposal for a new bridge

In October 2021, the Suffolk City Council unanimously made a resolution requesting that the Virginia Department of Transportation build a new King's Highway Bridge.^[6] The city had studied a number of options, including building the new bridge at the same location or at Five Mile Road. Ultimately, they decided to support the construction of the new bridge at Five Mile Road, less than a mile south of the previous location.

References

1. Applegate, Aaron (2007-03-23). "Demolition set for Kings Highway Bridge; no replacement in sight". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
2. Applegate, Aaron (2007-06-01). "Kings Highway Bridge in Suffolk begins coming down". The Virginian-Pilot.
3. Forster, Dave (2008-09-24). "Debris snags 2 boats near Kings Highway Bridge site". The Virginian-Pilot.
4. Forster, Dave (2008-10-01). "Divers find pilings near old King's Highway bridge site". The Virginian-Pilot.
5. Applegate, Aaron (2006-01-17). "Getting nowhere on the Kings Highway Bridge". The Virginian-Pilot.
6. LaRoue, Jimmy (October 21, 2021). "Council approves fund search for new King's Highway Bridge". The Suffolk News-Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2022.

36.84°N 76.55°W / 36.84; -76.55