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Chatham Bridge
Articles from the Free Lance-Star -
Compiled by
Theron P. Keller -
Updated 10/16/2021 |
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This is a collection of
articles I was able to dig up from the Google Newspaper Archive scans of the
Free Lance-Star, plus newer direct links to the FLS web page archives of more
recent articles (2001 and forward) relating to the Chatham Bridge, and its
direct predecessor, the Free Bridge.
The Free Bridge was
constructed of iron in 1890 (The
History of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia, by S. J. Quinn, 1908), and
was heavily damaged by the flood of April 26, 1937. It was quickly repaired and returned to
one-way service in under three months, and to full two-way service in under
four months. However, since the Free
Bridge was already in bad shape, and inadequate for the volume of traffic at
the time, work quickly began on a plan to replace it. This replacement became known as the Chatham
Bridge, which has been in place for the past nearly 80 years.
This collection of
articles covers four main periods:
o The flood, damage, and hasty repair of the Free Bridge
in 1937
o The construction of the Chatham Bridge between 1940
and 1941
o The closure of the Chatham Bridge in 2002 for two
weeks for repairs to the concrete piers
o The early coverage starting in 2015, for the current
project, the replacement of the Chatham Bridge deck
I have not done any
searching between August 1937 and October 1940. There are undoubtedly many
articles during that period of time which describe the
debate and planning leading up to the beginning of construction of the current
Chatham Bridge, which I first list below starting with October 2, 1940.
Unfortunately, the Google Newspaper Archive is not indexed, so the only way to
find things is by browsing, or by refence from a third party
index to a specific date. Once you get some practice, browsing gets a bit
smarter and more targeted than just "random," but it is still a fairly time-intensive activity. Once the CRRL is open
again, I may take some time searching through their microfiche index files for
bridge references during that missing period, and will
hopefully be able to fill in some gaps.
Here are some of the
interesting highlights from what I found:
o The 1937 flood was possibly the first human-recorded
"500-year” flood in Fredericksburg history. FEMA uses this term to describe the
likelihood of a flood event above a certain depth. A "100-year" flood
event is defined as a 1% probability in any particular year. A
"500-year" flood event is defined as a 0.2% probability. There isn't any literal connection to years
elapsed, as we had another, even greater flood just 5 years later in 1942. But
the significant fact is that according to the National Weather Service records,
the next highest flood event ever recorded up until that time was almost 50
years earlier, and SIX FEET lower. So, there were areas of town, well away from
the river, that were completely surprised to be under water for this flood.
o Three spans of the Free Bridge were washed away by the
flood. They washed down the river, and
passed under the RF&P railroad bridge, without hitting it. They talked about plans to retrieve some of
the steel from those parts to use for the repair, but I was not able to confirm
that is what they actually did. There were delays mentioned in obtaining
steel and other parts, so they may have had to abandon that plan.
o A pedestrian ferry was set up within just a few days
of the bridge being washed out. It was a
simple scow (which was constructed on the spot for this purpose) that was
attached to a cable that was strung across the river. The operators of the ferry grabbed the cable
and pulled the scow back and forth. The
ferry landed at Scott's Island on the city side, and the passengers had to
climb the stairs that ran up to the remaining portion of the Free Bridge and
finish their walk over to the Fredericksburg end. The first day of the ferry operation, they
carried 100 passengers. Prior to the
ferry starting to run, they had to place watchmen at each end of the RF&P
railroad bridge to manage the large numbers of pedestrians who were using it to
cross the river. The only other bridge
at that time was the Falmouth bridge, which was apparently too far to
walk. My conclusion: At this time there
must have been a relatively large commuter workforce who walked from their
homes in Stafford to their jobs in downtown Fredericksburg. (If they had used cars, they could have
driven to the Route 1 bridge at Falmouth without too much inconvenience.)
o There was quite a bit of controversy over where an
eventual replacement bridge would be built. State Highway Department officials
seemed to favor a new bridge being built at the foot of Lafayette Boulevard
(just north or upstream of the railroad bridge.) This would have been tied in
to a new road to be built to act as a by-pass or "belt line"
around the business district of the city, connecting with Route 1 at some point
north of Falmouth. Once the local business community realized what this would
mean, they, along with the City Council, very strongly opposed any location
other than the original site, at the foot of William Street. Some of this
debate coverage is likely documented in the window of time between 1937 and
1940, where I stopped searching, so that may yield more interesting things to
dig out in the future.
o The original Chatham Bridge construction project entailed
the demolition and removal of the hastily repaired old Free Bridge, and the
complete construction of what we have in place now. (As best I can tell by comparing photographs,
and the fact that the width of the new bridge is about twice that of the old bridge,
the concrete piers for the Free Bridge were completely removed and replaced by
new piers for the Chatham Bridge.) The project started with the closure of the
Free Bridge about October 14, 1940. The
newly constructed Chatham Bridge opened two lanes to traffic on July 23, 1941.
That's 283 days, or 9 months and 10 days!
The remaining two lanes opened three weeks later. By contrast, the current project is only
replacing the bridge deck, reusing the concrete piers that were built in 1941,
and is scheduled to take 16 months!
Style guide: I generally provide a main subject or text of the
headline, the date of the article, the link to the Google Archive or FLS web
page, and then a description, which is sometimes quotes, and sometimes my
paraphrased comments or notes added. For
days when there are multiple articles, I start with the date and then list the
articles separately. Days are separated
by the markers (===). If the day of the
week is particularly interesting or relative to the story, I included it with
the date.
Links: The links
usually point to the headline of the scanned article, so sometimes you have to look around a little bit to find the part of the
article that I’m talking about. Many of
the articles, such as for City Council Meetings, cover multiple subjects, so
keep reading! I tried to include all the
“Page 2” links, when the article was split. There may be one or two for which
the linked headline is not directly over the referenced article, for those I
tried to include some direction on where to find it from the link landing spot.
==========
April 26, 1937 (Monday)
NEAR-RECORD FLOOD HITS
AREA
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U-VNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5749%2C6303261
Falmouth bridge closed at
2 o'clock and soon afterwards the Free Bridge was likewise closed. The floorways of
both bridges were separated from the top of the water by less than a foot at 3
o'clock and debris was beginning to pile up beside the framework. Grave fear
was voiced that the structures may not be able to withstand the pounding...
FLOOD BRIEFS
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U-VNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5186%2C6308626
The water began breaking
over the floor of the Free Bridge at almost exactly 4 p.m. Hundreds of persons
gathered on each end of the span stood breathless, momentarily expecting to see
it buckle and collapse.
==========
April 27, 1937 (Tuesday)
Free Bridge Destroyed
FLOOD LOSSES MAY HIT
MILLION
"Ole Man
Rappahannock" Goes on Rampage
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VeVNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5790%2C6358144
Photo of Free Bridge under
water a few hours before it collapsed.
Large Section Is Damaged;
Free Bridge Washed Out (Right Column)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VeVNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6460%2C6358160
The Free Bridge at the
foot of William Street is hopelessly wrecked and many months will elapse before
it can be replaced.
[City's first time hit
with "500-year flood"]
SEVERAL BLOCKS UPTOWN
COVERED
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VeVNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4063%2C6359092
Canal Overflows, Flooding
Large Area in Northern Part of City
Several score of
Fredericksburg homes, well back from the river and which no one ever thought of
as being in danger from flood waters, were washed last night by the overflow
from the power company canal which came out of its banks at Charles, Princess
Anne and Prince Edward streets. Dozens
of basements were flooded, some first-floor rooms were under water, and many
homes were deserted as families sought refuge... In other casts (cases?) people remained in
their homes but spent a harried night with fears that they might be trapped
before dawn.
The canal first overflowed
its banks about 6:30 last night and from then on until after 11 the water rose
higher and higher and rushed in a surging current down Charles Street from Ford
Street as far as Hawke, a distance of four blocks, covering almost the entire
area from Princess Anne to Prince Edward and beyond, more than two blocks in
width.
At its deepest points, the
flood water came up about two feet.
Note: According to
National Weather Service history of flood events at Fredericksburg, the 1937
flood was almost SIX FEET higher than the previously recorded highest flood, so
it would have been exactly as described, completely unexpected that water would
reach some of these areas so far from the river:
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/crests.php?wfo=lwx&gage=fedv2&crest_type=historic
Historic Crests
(1) 42.60 ft on 10/16/1942
(2) 39.10 ft on 06/22/1972
(3) 38.10 ft on 04/26/1937 <----
(4) 32.20 ft on 06/01/1889 <----
If anyone knows of other
records besides the list provided by this NWS website that might indicate a
previous flood event greater than the 1937 event, please let me know.
==========
April 28, 1937
Total Losses In This Section Near Million
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V-VNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5604%2C6427835
Wreckage Surveyed
The Free Bridge between Fredericksburg
and Stafford leading to the Northern Neck had three spans near its center town
away and it is expected that months will elapse before a new bridge can be
built at an estimated cost of $200,000.
Hundreds of people have walked out on the existing framework to see
where it was smashed.
Saw Bridge Wreckage Float
Under Trestles
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V-VNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1278%2C6425274
More than 15 persons who
stood on the R. F. & P. railroad bridge Monday night watching the
Rappahannock river, saw three spans of the Free Bridge go out. Five minutes later the wrecked sections
passed beneath them, clearing the openings in the railroad bridge without
touching.
==========
Discuss Plans for New
Bridge Here
April 29, 1937
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WOVNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eooDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6329%2C6504486
May Build Footway
The possibility of
constructing a temporary foot-bridge across the
Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg pending replacement of flood-demolished
Free Bridge was reported under consideration today by the State Highway
Department.
… the department is
considering erection of a walkway in the near future
because of the large number of pedestrians who are now required to walk across
the R. F. and P. Railroad bridge daily to reach their places of employment in
the city.
Trains have been slowed
down because of the pedestrians.
Bridge lost three of its
spans in Monday's flood.
==========
Just Before the
Rappahannock Reached Its Crest
May 1, 1937
Photograph of Free Bridge
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k-0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1248%2C6720934
==========
Highway Department to Run
Ferry Across Rappahannock
May 3, 1937
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lO0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1904%2C6673773
Boat Service To Begin This Week
Temporary Repairs To Free Bridge Expected To Be Completed in 90 Days
Stafford Supervisors Urge
Bridge Replacement At Present Location
Stafford Board of
Supervisors passes resolution urging immediate replacement, including a new
pedestrian path
City Council will meet
tonight to take action regarding bridge replacement
Seek Future Plans -
Efforts were made today to ascertain what plans the Highway Department has for
a permanent bridge over the Rappahannock to replace the damaged Free Bridge,
which for years has been considered inadequate for present traffic volume.
[Talk about new site for a replacement bridge, south, near the railroad bridge,
connecting with Route 1 north of Falmouth, bypassing Fredericksburg
and most of Falmouth.]
Shirley Tells of Free
Bridge Plans
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lO0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5977%2C6670790
==========
Council Opposes Bridge
Site Shift
May 4, 1937 (Tuesday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=le0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1864%2C6620639
Council votes to urge
rebuilding in the same place, and to add capability for pedestrians as well.
Pronounced opposition was
evident ... to changing the location of the bridge. Moving the bridge was feared by some as
perhaps paving the way for a by-pass or belt line around the city, the effects
of which were held to be adverse to local business
interests.
Several possibilities were
mentioned... desirable to make temporary repairs to the Free Bridge at once and
that subsequently the Falmouth Bridge be dismantled and set up to replace the
Free Bridge, with a larger and more substantial bridge being erected to carry
the Route One traffic at Falmouth.
Highway workmen were going
forward with preparations to provide ferry service from Scott's Island to the
Stafford shore to accommodate the large number of people desiring to cross each
day. The ferry boat is expected to be in
operation by Wednesday morning. [The next day!] It will carry passengers only
and they will be required to use the steps leading from the bridge to the
island and to walk across the remaining spans of the bridge to the Fredericksburg
shore.
Page 2: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=le0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1037%2C6613774
The Highway Department
will make temporary repairs to the bridge as rapidly as possible so that
vehicular and pedestrian use can be resumed. Parts of the broken spans are
expected to be salvaged and used in making repairs to the bridge. It was at first believed that repair would be
delayed not less than six months owing to inability to secure steel. Later it was learned that steel adequate for
temporary repairs was available immediately.
==========
May 5, 1937
Ferry Service On River Is Started
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZckpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4686%2C6563191
One Hundred Persons
Conveyed During First Day's Operation
A new ferry boat to supplant
the one now in use was under construction this morning and will probably be put
into use tomorrow. The present boat, it
was said, draws too much water and is too hard to handle in the shallow stream. The new boat will have no motor.
A wharf was built
extending approximately 75 feet into the river from Scott's Island this morning
because of the shallow water, which failed to allow the boat to get close to
shore. The new ferry boat is expected to be towed by a cable, stretching from
the wharf on the island to that on the Stafford side. Ferry is operated continuously throughout the
day and night.
Bridge Action
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZckpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1695%2C6565754
Fifty Fredericksburg
business leaders and officials: More discussion on building replacement bridge
at a new site, allowing a by-pass of Fredericksburg.
==========
Making Surveys For Bridge Site
[New scow for ferry]
May 6, 1937
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZskpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1802%2C6494968
Preliminary surveys were
being made for a possible bridge site by a party of State Highway Department
engineers... a few yards north of the R. F. & P. railroad bridge on both
sides of the river, as well as at the foot of Lafayette Boulevard.
City Council strongly in
favor of rebuilding on current site.
Scow expected momentarily
to replace the present craft. At present, persons are being taken across the
river in a rowboat, the motorboat having been abandoned because of its size and
the amount of water it drew. No oars
will be used, the operators pulling it across on the cable. Lights will be
placed across the river for use at night. The ferry is being operated 24 hours
daily.
==========
To Repair Bridge Within 45
Days
May 7, 1937
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z8kpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4827%2C6404603
Updated estimates, due to
materials on hand, ready for use within 45 days. Spans will be replaced, not been determined
whether it will be permanent or temporary because of the probability of the
construction of a new bridge.
Surveys continue at
several points along the Rappahannock river with view to determining other
possible sites.
==========
Many Subjects Up For City Council - Discusses Bridge Question
May 10, 1937 (Monday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ackpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1040%2C6282751
Discusses Bridge Question...
Discussion will also be heard of the status of the Free Bridge question. Council has already voted in favor of
rebuilding the bridge at its present location...
==========
(City Council) Act on
Bridge Issue
May 11, 1937 (Tuesday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=askpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1601%2C6223525
... tentative surveys were
being made of other possible bridge sites but no
change would be made until all interests concerned had been given...
In the meantime, temporary
repairs are being made to the damaged Free Bridge to permit limited use.
==========
Bridge Materials Due This
Month
May 17, 1937 (One story
below linked headline)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bskpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3555%2C5875067
Materials for repair of
Free Bridge due in Fredericksburg before the end of May. ...estimated that it would require about
three or four weeks to restore the structure to traffic after the materials
arrive.
==========
No Bridge Hearing Likely
Tomorrow
May 26, 1937 (Wednesday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dskpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2733%2C5344841
No plans for a local
delegation to appear before the State Highway Commission... Decision deferred
until a full hearing can be held.
Work of repairing the
damaged bridge is going on but some time will elapse before traffic over the
Free Bridge can be resumed due to delay in obtaining steel and other supplies
for the repair work.
==========
Read through May 31.
Skipped to July 1.
(Hole in my searching
here, I figured unlikely to have any significant developments.)
==========
Free Bridge Open To 1-Way
Traffic
July 10, 1937 (Saturday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m8kpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2321%2C2811049
Spans washed out in Spring
Flood Have Been Replaced
The Free Bridge was opened
to one-way traffic at noon today following the partial replacement of three
spans of the bridge... The bridge would
be open to two-way traffic the latter part of next week. Although work will not be complete, traffic
will be able to move over the structure and work will continue until the bridge
is completed.
Ferry service ends. The
ferry boat which has been in service since the spans were swept away from the
Stafford side of the river was abandoned at noon today and its operators placed
at work on the bridge.
Traffic will be handled in
single file. Flagmen at each end will
control traffic.
More notes on survey of
sites for eventual replacement bridge.
[Never found an article
that mentioned the opening of two-way traffic.]
==========
Indirect reference to
bridge opening
Action Suggested On Highway Route
August 11, 1937
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tckpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1416%2C1090140
City Council Urged To Exert Itself In Matter Of New Bridge - Change In Highway
Feared If New Site Is Chosen For Span Over Rappahannock
The Free Bridge has been
restored to use by means of temporary repairs, the work being done by highway
forces.
==========
No more searches until
1940.
==========
Stumbled across this article by accident:
Truck Route West of City Proposed at Hearing Today
May 22, 1939
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pu5NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mIoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5851%2C1150836
NEW FREE BRIDGE OUT: ... neither the government nor the state
would build a new bridge at that point unless it was elevated safely above high water
which would require raising it to a point that would be injurious to the city. Mr. Shirley repeated
his belief that the best disposition of the highway problem from Fredericksburg's
standpoint would be building a bridge at Lafeyette Street with a new
road across Stafford Heights but this was opposed by some committee members who feared
wholesale diversion of passenger cars.
==========
==========
Work on Bridge to Start
Soon
October 2, 1940
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YttNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3IoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3798%2C5021225
Bowers Construction
Company, Raleigh, NC
Work of dismantling the
Free Bridge over the Rappahannock Rover at the foot of William Street is
expected to get underway within the next few days.
... it was very likely
that the bridge would be closed to traffic and pedestrians as soon as work
towards dismantling the structure gets underway. The Falmouth Bridge will be used thereafter.
==========
Bridge Work Here One of 8
Big Highway Jobs
Free Bridge Closes to
Vehicle Traffic Monday [Would be October 14, 1941] (Headline next article
below)
October 12, 1940
(Saturday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a9tNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3IoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5067%2C4408474
Dismantling of Free Bridge
expected to take about two months.
Completion expected in May
or June.
==========
Marker is Moved Until New
Bridge is Built
October 26, 1940
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d9tNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3IoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1203%2C3590286
Temporarily moving Lease
Land Marker at west end of the Free Bridge. Marks the boundary line of the
original corporate limits of Fredericksburg.
[THIS is the article that
started my quest to find out where the marker is now!]
==========
Pouring Concrete on Last
Abutment
April 1, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yg4TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6803%2C4694752
Work began in October
1940. Expected to finish by May 1,
1941. Cost $288,364.03
==========
Discuss Bridges
May 7, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3agQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6044%2C326529
Plans for a ceremony to
mark the opening of the new bridge ... about mid-June ... were discussed at the
May meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last night.
==========
Council Covers Various
Subjects
May 14, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=46gQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6271%2C715090
Authorized payment of
$3,800 for property damage in connection with approach to William Street
bridge.
Ordered negotiation for purchase
of condemnation of Limerick lot and Wallace warehouse at entrance to new
bridge.
Heard from Mr. Houston
that William Street bridge would be completed by last of June.
==========
Skip to Wednesday June 11
(after next council meeting) Small mention of damage to approach to bridge.
==========
Skip to
Bridge Dedication Plans
Being Made
June 18, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AKkQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6872%2C2615090
Tentative plans... No date
has been set for the event... Expected between July 15 and August 1.
==========
Skip to
Span to Open for Two-Way
Traffic
July 1, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=heZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4291%2C3319966
Partial use to start July
25th, four-way traffic about August 7th, completed by August 15th.
==========
Open New Bridge to Traffic
Today
July 23, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l-ZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4377%2C4405645
Two lanes of structure put
in use. All four lanes will be opened
within two weeks.
=========
Bridge Ceremony Set for
August 14 (corrected the next day to 15th)
August 9, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=puZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6269%2C5384829
To be turned over to the
State Highway Department. ...the other two lanes will be thrown open within the
next few days.
==========
Dedicate Bridge Friday
Afternoon
August 11, 1941
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p-ZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3187%2C5429191
Exercises to dedicate the
new bridge will be held Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock.
==========
Norris Will Make Bridge
Response
August 13, 1941
(Wednesday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qeZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5419%2C5530860
State Senator Robert O.
Norris will participate...here at 4 o'clock Friday afternoon. The bridge was cleared of barricades and
other obstacles early this morning and all four lanes of the structure were in
use by traffic for the first time.
==========
$288,000 Bridge Opens
Tomorrow
August 14, 1940 (Thursday)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=quZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6095%2C5587802
Parade, speakers, it was a
very big deal!
==========
Dedicate New Bridge With Ceremony Here
August 16, 1941
Page 1: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rOZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4506%2C5724056
Page 2: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rOZNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5323%2C5729484
Big ceremony!
"dedication of the $325,000 William Street bridge."
State Highway Commissioner
James A. Anderson said the Federal government had contributed $150,000 from its
flood relief fund, the state a like amount and the city the remaining portion
to finance the structure.
End of article: The new
bridge replaces the temporary span which was constructed after the flood of
April 1937 carried away several spans of the old Free Bridge, erected shortly
before the turn of the century.
[Unsure on the discrepancy
in cost reporting. I assume the $288K is
the contract for the bridge itself, while the $325K is the total costs for all
aspects. This was the only article in
which I saw $325K reported.]
==========
Skipping WAY ahead to
2001!
==========
==========
Uncovering Secrets (Stone
Warehouse)
August 4, 2001
https://www.fredericksburg.com/uncovering-secrets/article_a663f36a-fef1-534d-8959-a3d9cbec37bf.html
Before Sophia Street was
raised in 1939 and 1941 to accommodate the new Chatham Bridge...
==========
BRIDGE CLOSING FOR REPAIRS
Bridge may close for
repair
May 4, 2002
==========
Bridge repairs backed
May 10, 2002
==========
Close it and fix it
May 13, 2002
Close the bridge in the
fall, fix it quickly, and be happy you won't have to worry about it again for
another 60 years. (!!!)
==========
Chatham Bridge closure set
May 15, 2002
The 61-year-old Chatham
Bridge will shut down for three weeks in July while crews make necessary
repairs...
==========
Bridge to close July 8
June 12, 2002
The Chatham Bridge will
close for repairs on July 8 after the morning rush hour and remain that way
until July 29.
==========
Repairs close Chatham
Bridge Tuesday
July 7, 2002
==========
Chatham Bridge re-opens
today
July 17, 2002
The Chatham Bridge opens
for business today at 9 a.m.--13 days ahead of schedule.
The city also offered an
added incentive: The firm could earn an extra $2,500 a day for each day the
bridge was opened before July 30.
That's a $32,500 bonus for
Lanford Brothers.
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Potholes force closure of
Chatham Bridge lane
February 22, 2003
The eastbound, right lane
of Chatham Bridge is closed indefinitely while local road crews try to fix
potholes left behind by the recent heavy snow.
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State reduces weight
limits on Chatham Bridge
May 6, 2014
The four-lane State Route
3 span, built in 1941 and already listed as structurally deficient, will have a
posted weight limit of 21 tons for single vehicles and 26 tons for tractor–trailers.
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Editorial: Keep an eye on
two key, yet deteriorating Fredericksburg-area bridges
over Rappahannock
March 26, 2015
Last fall, the state set
aside $3 million to accelerate planning for the rehab of the Chatham Bridge.
The money will allow preliminary engineering to start this year. There also are
plans to improve access for pedestrians and bicyclists. That money is a down payment, however.
Complete rehabilitation of the bridge is estimated at $20 million.
VDOT also has long-range
plans to replace the Falmouth Bridge, which opened about two years after
Chatham, in 1943. Today, the Falmouth Bridge is considered “functionally
obsolete,” because of the amount of traffic it carries. No surprises there to
anyone who drives over it regularly. Engineering would start in 2020, and the
replacement cost is estimated at $50 million.
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Editorial: Welcome
progress on Chatham Bridge
May 25, 2016
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Chatham Bridge repair work
to begin
February 18, 2017
Those red marks on the
Chatham Bridge between Fredericksburg and Stafford County are indicators of
work to come on sections of the decrepit concrete structure.
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VDOT eyes two options for
rehabbing Chatham Bridge
November 15, 2017
The Virginia Department of
Transportation considers the 76-year-old structure structurally deficient, and is proposing two options for rehabilitating
it.
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VDOT moves up start of
Chatham Bridge repair
March 26, 2019
When given an estimated
cost of about $2 million to keep the pavement in driveable
shape until the bridge work could begin, VDOT officials looked for a way to get
started sooner, Hannon said.
As a result, work on the
project could start in the latter half of 2020 and wrap up in early 2022. The
completion originally was expected to come at the end of 2022.
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