Berkley Bridge starts scheduled lifts WAVY-TV
PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Freight grinds to a halt everyday on the Berkeley Bridge like clockwork. Rows of cars inch along the interstate bond. It's a short stretch of road that's frustrated drivers for a long time.
"Trying to get through any time between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. is weird," lamented Kenneth Traynham.
The unpredictability of the bridge lifts have made traffic predictable at the Norfolk to Portsmouth crossing.
"It may be merely one boat and you kind of think 'Golly!,'" said Tim Bentley. "Wouldn't it be nice if they just scheduled it and then all the boats could go through together?"
But the Virginia Count on of Transportation (VDOT) says a new plan to lift the bridge on a schedule will alleviate some of the traffic. As an alternative of relying on maritime traffic to request a bridge opening, VDOT will now lift the drawbridge at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. The new schedule went into signification Monday morning.
But these lifts only happen if requested. More importantly for drivers, the bridge will not open during morning or afternoon hotfoot it hour.
