Robert O. Norris Bridge

The Robert O. Norris Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Rappahannock River between Lancaster County and Middlesex County in Virginia, United States. It serves as the crossing for State Route 3 over the river. It was opened on August 30, 1957, and replaced a ferry service. It is also known by locals as the White Stone Bridge or Rappahannock River Bridge. The water is over 60 feet deep near the center of the bridge. The bridge is maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Robert O. Norris Bridge
Viewed from the southeast in 2013
Coordinates37°37′28″N 76°25′23″W
Carries2 lanes of SR 3
CrossesRappahannock River
Maintained byVirginia Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignTruss
MaterialSteel
Total length11,237 feet (3,425 m)
Longest span648 feet (198 m)
No. of lanes2
History
Construction start1954
OpenedAugust 30, 1957 (1957-08-30)
Statistics
Daily traffic8,000 vehicles
Location

Originally conceived in the 1930s, planning work on the bridge began in earnest in 1950, and construction began in 1954. Four workers were killed in construction accidents on the bridge. The Norris Bridge is 11,237 feet (3,425 m) long,[1] and provides a Mean High Water clearance of 110 feet (34 m) under the center span. Prior to the placement of the current traffic safety barrier, in its 50+ years there are two known fatal accidents involving cars flipping off the bridge into the water below.

When first opened, the bridge was crossed by just over 1,000 vehicles per day, on average. The tolls were removed from the bridge in 1976, and by 1978 the average daily traffic had risen to over 2,500 vehicles per day. Today, more than 8,000 vehicles cross the two-lane bridge each day.[2]

Dominion Virginia Power operates a 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that is attached to the side of the bridge.[3]

References
  1. Robert O. Norris Bridge at Structurae
  2. August 2017 VDOT Traffic Study
  3. "Norris Bridge". Dominion Energy. Retrieved 2018-04-04.


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