# Great Bridge Bridge > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Great_Bridge_Bridge > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Great_Bridge_Bridge.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bridge_Bridge > Source revision: 1342660025 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Drawbridge in Chesapeake, Virginia, US}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} [[File:BattleOfGreatBridge.jpg | thumb | left | The [Battle of Great Bridge](/source/Battle_of_Great_Bridge) was fought at this crossing on December 9, 1775.]] thumb|The current Great Bridge Bridge was completed in 2004. thumb|A bridge over the Elizabeth River estuary in the 18th century The '''Great Bridge Bridge''' is a double-leaf [rolling bascule](/source/bascule_bridge) [drawbridge](/source/Drawbridge_(American_English)) that carries Battlefield Blvd ([State Route 168 Business](/source/Virginia_State_Route_168_Business)) across the [Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway](/source/Atlantic_Intracoastal_Waterway) in [Chesapeake, Virginia](/source/Chesapeake%2C_Virginia). It was constructed in 2004 by the [Army Corps of Engineers](/source/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers) and operated by the [City of Chesapeake](/source/Chesapeake%2C_Virginia). It has a mean daily traffic of 35,000 vehicles. The current bridge cost $46 million. In September 2018 a lightning strike disabled the bridge's electronics, requiring manual operation. Normally the bridge opens automatically, on the hour, from 6 am to 7 pm. Vessels can request an opening from 7 pm to 6 am. ==Earlier bridges== On December 9, 1775, when the [Battle of Great Bridge](/source/Battle_of_Great_Bridge) was fought, a bridge spanned the main channel of the [Elizabeth River](/source/Elizabeth_River_(Virginia)), in the middle of a broad marshy estuary. A raised causeway spanned the rest of the estuary. A new bridge was built at [Great Bridge, Virginia](/source/Great_Bridge%2C_Virginia), in 1859, after the construction of [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](/source/Albemarle_and_Chesapeake_Canal) (which is part of the [Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway](/source/Atlantic_Intracoastal_Waterway)). During the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) a bridge crossing at Great Bridge was destroyed. A new two-lane [swing bridge](/source/swing_bridge) replaced the late 19th century bridge in 1943. ==References== {{Reflist|refs= {{cite web | url = http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Chesapeake/131-5333_Albemarle&Chesapeake_Canal_HD_2004_Final_Nomination.pdf | title = National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal|author=Geoffrey Henry|date=July 2003 | publisher = [Virginia Department of Historic Resources](/source/Virginia_Department_of_Historic_Resources) | access-date = 2019-05-11 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170210214539/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Chesapeake/131-5333_Albemarle%26Chesapeake_Canal_HD_2004_Final_Nomination.pdf | archive-date= 2017-02-10 | url-status = dead }} {{cite news | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ELBBAAAAYAAJ&q=%22great+bridge%22 | title = The Pictorial Field-book of the Revolution: Or, Illustrations, by Pen and Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence, Volume 1 | author = Benson John Lossing | author-link = Benson John Lossing | publisher = [Harper & Brothers](/source/Harper_%26_Brothers) | year = 1850 | page = 327 | isbn = 9780871520555 | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2019-10-27 | quote = }} {{cite news | url = https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/AIWW.aspx | title = Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway | publisher = [US Army Corps of Engineers](/source/US_Army_Corps_of_Engineers) | date = March 6, 2018 | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2019-10-27 | quote = }} {{cite news | url = https://wtkr.com/2018/09/09/great-bridge-bridge-expects-extended-closures-after-lightning-strike-causes-electrical-issues/ | title = Great Bridge bridge expects extended closures after lightning strike causes electrical issues | work = [WTKR](/source/WTKR) | date = September 9, 2018 | location = [Chesapeake, Virginia](/source/Chesapeake%2C_Virginia) | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2019-10-27 | quote = After being struck by lightning Saturday evening, electrical issues with the Great Bridge bridge will require the bridge to be opened manually. }} {{cite news | url = https://www.pilotonline.com/history/article_c90142c4-fa9b-526f-8e1a-9399a7e3c7f7.html | title = The history of the Great Bridge Bridge dates to at least 1770 | work = [The Virginian-Pilot](/source/The_Virginian-Pilot) | author = Raymond Harper | date = March 11, 2018 | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2019-10-27 | quote = }} {{cite web | url = http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Government/City-Departments/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Chesapeake-Bridges/bridges-greatbridge.htm | title = Great Bridge Bridge (Battlefield Blvd) | publisher = [City of Chesapeake, Virginia](/source/City_of_Chesapeake%2C_Virginia) | archiveurl = | archivedate = | accessdate = 2012-06-15 | quote = }} }} {{Water Crossings in the Hampton Roads Region}} {{Coord|36|43|15.1|N|76|14|23.8|W|type:landmark|display=title}} Category:Road bridges in Virginia Category:Bascule bridges in the United States Category:Bridges completed in 2004 Category:Bridges in Chesapeake, Virginia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Great Bridge Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bridge_Bridge) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bridge_Bridge?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.