THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 13, 1996 TAG: 9605130026
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: YORKTOWN LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
On Saturday, the designers cheered as the final section of the new George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge was lifted into place. On Sunday, commuters were given something to cheer about.
The bridge could open to traffic as early as this afternoon - more than two days ahead of schedule - ending a 75-mile detour for commuters between between Yorktown and Gloucester Point.
``If all goes well, we will let people start using the new Coleman Bridge sometime before Monday afternoon's rush hour,'' said Shelton Collier, vice president of Tidewater Construction of Virginia Beach.
If that happens, the largest double-swing bridge in the country - a half-mile span of steel and concrete - will have been dismantled and replaced in a mere 10 days.
And, at $103 million, it should be a better bridge.
Widened from 31 to 77 feet, its concrete roadway will offer better traction than the old asphalt and steel. There will be 10-foot emergency shoulders and a concrete center barrier.
And four lanes instead of two to carry 30,000 vehicles a day over the York River.
Initially, however, commuters will find the going no swifter - and perhaps a bit slower - on the new bridge compared with the old.
Only one lane will be open in each direction until crews finish building barrier walls and wiring. The posted speed limit will be 40 mph.
``We wish we could give an exact time for the reopening, but there are too many little details that have to be taken care of - and thus too many things that could cause slight delays,'' said Jim Cleveland of the Virginia Department of Transportation. He recommended that commuters plan to use the West Point detour this morning and listen for updates on radio and television this afternoon.
The bridge has already weathered its first test at the hands of nature. On Saturday night, strong thunderstorms buffeted the span with winds that repeatedly gusted to more than 60 mph. The only effect: work crews took shelter for a couple hours. by CNB