In a significant advancement for Chesapeake, Virginia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Norfolk District initiated a crucial next step of the Deep Creek Bridge Replacement project on February 9, 2024. The operation involved pouring cement through tremie tubes to form a solid sub-base beneath the water, which in the future will serve as an abutment foundation. The water in the area shielded by the bridge’s wooden channel fenders is 32 feet deep. The cement, once fully set, will have a substantial thickness of 10 feet from top to bottom, ensuring the structural integrity of the foundation.
Vehicles cross Deep Creek Bridge in Chesapeake, Virginia in April, 2024.
The Deep Creek Bridge has been marked for replacement since 1977 due to its inadequacy in handling traffic and failing to meet modern standards. Despite initial setbacks, a renewed push from the city in 1996 led to Congressional authorization and a feasibility study, culminating in a recommendation for its replacement in 2003. Authorized by Congress in 2007 and reauthorized in 2020 with a budget of $59.5 million, the replacement project aims to construct a new five-lane bridge to improve traffic flow and comply with transportation requirements. The new bridge will extend 100 feet south of the existing two-lane structure, reflecting a significant upgrade in response to longstanding community and infrastructure needs. Once completed, the bridge will transition to city ownership, signifying a major development for Chesapeake's transportation network.
Mr. Phillip Abbott, a resident engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Norfolk District, explains that, “ the replacement is very needed and has been in the works for quite some time. Over the years, the City of Chesapeake population has grown around the small bridge and subsequently the traffic has as well. That ultimately brought about a series of safety related concerns which led the City to reach out to the Corps for engineering assistance.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pours concrete at Deep Creek Bridge, City of Chesapeake, Virginia on 9 February, 2024.
Even though there is an obvious benefit to come with the bridge replacement, many local residents complain, associating the current traffic wait times with the bridge construction. The senior construction inspector assigned to the replacement project, Bob Collupy explained, “some are bothered by what might be perceived as an inconvenience. At the same time, the improved infrastructure which was need is now finally underway. There is a process and things need to be done to standard to ensure safety longterm.”
In this video, both Mr. Collupy and Mr. Abbott shed light on the project's construction nuances and its significance to the area's safety and mobility, especially considering the proximity of schools and the necessity for efficient emergency service routes.
USACE Engineers pour concrete at Deep Creek Bridge, City of Chesapeake, Virginia on 9 February, 2024.
For more detailed information on the project and insights from the construction team, you can visit the official USACE Norfolk District website.
