With gusting winds in the forecast this weekend, a reminder that VDOT monitors wind speeds at major river crossings in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, including:
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Downing Bridge, which carries Route 360 over the Rappahannock River between Richmond County and the Town of Tappahannock
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Eltham Bridge, which carries Route 30/Route 33 traffic over the Pamunkey River and connects the Town of West Point and New Kent County
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Gwynn’s Island bridge, which carries Route 223 bridge to Gwynn’s Island from mainland Mathews County
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Lord Delaware Bridge, which carries Route 33 over the Mattaponi River and connects the Town of West Point and King and Queen County
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Norris Bridge, which carries Route 3 over the Rappahannock River between Lancaster and Middlesex counties
If sustained winds reach 30 mph over a period of 30 minutes or there are frequent wind gusts of 45 mph or greater, VDOT will post a high wind advisory notice on these bridges.
When sustained winds reach 45 mph or above over a period of 15 minutes, VDOT crews will post a bridge closure notice. However, bridges will not be physically barricaded.
When a high wind advisory notice is posted, high-profile vehicles such as tractor-trailers, box trucks, and large vans and SUVs are advised to not cross the bridge. Trucks carrying small or empty loads may be especially at risk.
High wind advisory or bridge closure notices will be posted on message boards staged at both bridge approaches.
