Kings Highway Bridge was located on the Nansemond River in the

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 Suffolk,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Built in 1928, it carried traffic on the Kings Highway, also known as State Route 125, for over 75 years. The drawbridge was deemed unsafe and closed to traffic in March 2005 by the

Virginia Department of Transportation The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the agency of the state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Building in downtown ...

(VDOT). In March 2007, VDOT announced that the bridge would be demolished and removed, with no plans for replacement, and demolition began in June. In 2008, several boats struck debris from the old bridge. About 3,300 motorists a day used the bridge that connected Chuckatuck and Driver. Now, they face detours of as much as 19 miles. The cost of a new bridge for the King's Highway crossing was estimated at $48 million in 2006, far more than could be recovered through collection of tolls at that location.

Proposal for a new bridge

In October 2021, the Suffolk

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

unanimously made a resolution requesting that the

build a new King's Highway Bridge. The city had studied a number of options, including building the new bridge at the same location or at Five Mile Road. Ultimately, they decided to support the construction of the new bridge at Five Mile Road, less than a mile south of the previous location.

References

Buildings and structures in Suffolk, Virginia Bridges completed in 1928 Bascule bridges in the United States Transportation in Suffolk, Virginia Road bridges in Virginia Former toll bridges in Virginia 1928 establishments in Virginia {{Virginia-bridge-struct-stub