Nickel Bridge on:
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Boulevard Bridge in the 
During the years of ownership by the Boulevard Bridge Corporation, Westover Hills residents were given free access across the bridge by the use of a special license plate that was attached below the state plates on their cars. These plates had to be applied for and were also sold to the general public. They were changed each year, and in the last years before
RMTA official page on Boulevard Bridge
{{Coord, 37, 31, 54, N, 77, 29, 2, W, type:landmark, display=title Bridges completed in 1925 Bridges over the James River (Virginia) Bridges in Richmond, Virginia Road bridges in Virginia Toll bridges in Virginia Truss bridges in the United States
independent city
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
of Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
is a toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge where a monetary charge (or ''toll'') is required to pass over. Generally the private or public owner, builder and maintainer of the bridge uses the toll to recoup their investment, in much the same way as a toll road. ...
which carries State Route 161
The following highways are numbered 161:
Canada
* New Brunswick Route 161
* Prince Edward Island Route 161
* Quebec Route 161
Costa Rica
* National Route 161
India
* National Highway 161
Ireland
* R161 road (Ireland)
Japan
* Japan Nat ...
across the James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
.
At long, the Boulevard Bridge was completed in 1925. It was privately owned and financed by the Boulevard Bridge Corporation for the purpose of providing access to the new Westover Hills neighborhood in South Richmond, where one of the selling points of the homes was free bridge access. It is named for The Boulevard, a main route through Richmond that ends just north of the bridge in Byrd Park
Byrd Park, also known as William Byrd Park, is a public park located in Richmond, Virginia, United States, north of the James River and adjacent to Maymont. The park includes a mile-long trail with exercise stops, monuments, an amphitheatre, an ...
. For many years, 5-cent tolls were collected at a toll booth midway on the span, and it became widely known as the "Nickel Bridge". Some years later, tolls were increased to 10 cents, and the nickname became the "Dime Bridge". However, despite all subsequent toll increases, it is still known today as the "nickel bridge" to many locals.
Initially, the early toll-barrier was located in the middle of the span (actually above the north shore of the river between the canal and the north end), because all the property on either side except the right-of-way for the roadway itself was owned by others, and the toll barrier at that location could be erected at no additional land acquisition expense. It was certainly not possible to circumvent paying the toll at that location. The toll booths were relocated to a plaza north of the bridge in the mid-1960s.
During the years of ownership by the Boulevard Bridge Corporation, Westover Hills residents were given free access across the bridge by the use of a special license plate that was attached below the state plates on their cars. These plates had to be applied for and were also sold to the general public. They were changed each year, and in the last years before Richmond Metropolitan Authority The Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority is an independent authority and political subdivision which serves the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. Created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1966, then called the Richmond Met ...
(RMA) control, windshield stickers were used.
On November 24, 1969, the RMA, which was building Richmond's new expressway system at the time, purchased the Boulevard Bridge for $1.2 million. The toll on the bridge was kept at 10 cents until 1988, when it was doubled to 20 cents.
In August 1992, the RMA closed the bridge for 18 months to complete extensive renovation work, which included widening the existing lanes, installing new toll booths and equipment on the north end of the bridge, and improving safe access for bicycles and pedestrians. The bridge reopened in October 1993. The toll was increased again in 1998 to 25 cents. In 2008, the RMA increased the tolls on all of its roads, bringing the Boulevard Bridge to its current rate of 35 cents. Despite the renovation work in the early 1990s, weight restrictions on the bridge limit vehicles to under 7,500 lbs.
References
External links
RMTA official page on Boulevard Bridge
{{Coord, 37, 31, 54, N, 77, 29, 2, W, type:landmark, display=title Bridges completed in 1925 Bridges over the James River (Virginia) Bridges in Richmond, Virginia Road bridges in Virginia Toll bridges in Virginia Truss bridges in the United States