All northbound lanes on the Route 17 James River Bridge, connecting Isle of Wight County to Newport News, will be closed from Friday, March 7 at 9 p.m. until Monday, March 10 at 5 a.m. This closure is to allow contractor crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to replace a full panel of the bridge’s grid deck.
The grid deck is essential for distributing vehicle weight across the bridge’s supporting beams. The repair work is expected to take about 40 hours.
Northbound motorists traveling from Isle of Wight to Newport News will have a signed detour through Suffolk via the Godwin Bridge (Route 17) to the I-664 interchange and Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel. Additional routes include the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry and Route 460.
Southbound lanes will remain open for traffic heading from Newport News to Isle of Wight. Maritime traffic will not be impacted; vessels can continue using the channel, and bridge lift operations will proceed as usual.
The schedule may change due to weather conditions, with backup dates set for March 14-17 or March 21-24.
Motorists are encouraged to use VDOT’s free 511 Virginia traffic tools or the Waze GPS app for current road and travel conditions. Updates are available by texting “JRB” to 833-748-0519 or signing up online for email updates.
