W ritten by JOANNE KIMBERLIN The Virginian-Pilot Photography by BILL TIERNAN The Virginian-Pilot
OK• SO IT’S NOT THE GOLDEN GATE. And only about 1 in 300 of us will probably be regular users. But in a region rife with ho-hum water crossings – tunnels excluded, of course – the new South Norfolk Jordan Bridge is a real head-turner. It arches over the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River like a mile-long white snake: soaring, graceful, hollow.
Hollow? That’s right. The design cuts weight, cost and improves flex – just one of the interesting details about the latest addition to our skyline.
No doubt, there’s plenty of water under this bridge. Folks argued about it for years: if, when and how we should replace the old one.
But now that it’s here, we might as well enjoy the cool factor. In addition to being the tallest bridge around – by far – the Jordan stands out nationally as well.
Across the country, there are only about 10 bridges like it – privately built, owned and operated for public use. Modern spans over major waterways are usually government property.
What’s up with the name?
Originally called the Norfolk-Portsmouth Bridge, the old span was later renamed for Carl M. Jordan, a local businessman who played a major role in cobbling together its construction money, then spent years serving on the commission that managed it.
No wonder we’re confused!
One end of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge is in Chesapeake (South Norfolk is actually part of Chesapeake) and the other end is near the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (which is in Portsmouth).
Did part of the bridge collapse during construction?
No. A steel truss used to assemble the superstructure failed, twisting some of the concrete segments it was supporting. A 92-ton piece fell onto land on the Chesapeake side , where it damaged some railroad tracks. Four workers on the bridge suffered minor injuries in the scramble that ensued. The accident set back the project about three months.
Who owns our newest bridge?
United Bridge Partners, a Florida-registered corporation made up of the Jordan’s primary builders (FIGG Bridge Developers and Lane Construction) and the outfit that supplied the money (American Infrastructure MLP Funds).
What’s their track record?
Although the Jordan is the partnership’s first project (its second will be in Chicago), FIGG has built 50-plus bridges in the United States, including North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound crossing and a viaduct on Grandfather Mountain. It also just rebuilt the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, a span that collapsed in 2007, killing 13. The company’s motto is “Creating Bridges as Art.”