Monday, October 24, 2011

Gwynn's Island Bridge



The bridge leading from mainland Mathews over to Gwynn's Island made the news here recently.




Because it's old and deteriorating of some rusting parts brought on by age and the elements, the Virginia Department of Transportation has imposed weight limits until repairs can be made.




Built in 1938, this bridge accommodates 2,215 vehicles daily, according to this week's Gazette Journal article on the topic.



The article goes on to cite a VDOT press release which calls the bridge "functionally obsolete" which means I resemble that remark  it "doesn't provide the capacity to meet the current traffic volume demand of existing conditions."



One of the engineers said there is a complete loss of section in certain places.

I'm sorry, are we still talking about the Gwynn's Island bridge or is this a story about my worn out, middle-aged brain?

A fix for the problem is currently being designed, and repairs are anticipated to take a year.

Dear VDOT,
Is there a fix for a functionally obsolete Forty-Something-Year-Old with memory lapses thanks to rusted synapses? I'd appreciate any help I can get.  Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Love,
CBW

4 comments:

Jamie said...

I guess I won't be crossing over to the island as I'm sure I'd exceed the 10 ton weight limit. And I hope they do just repair it and don't decide to build something else. I love that bridge.

deborah said...

What an interesting bridge - having a 'rusty' moment and can't remember what that kind of bridge is called.
Wishing you a great week!

Daryl said...

I love that bridge in addition to leading to Bud's Beach its the only place in Mathews that has WiFi!!!!!

Mental P Mama said...

So how do we get there? I can promise you won't find me testing the weight limits!