Robert O. Norris Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Robert O. Norris bridge is a truss bridge
that spans the Rappahannock River
between Lancaster County
and Middlesex County
in Virginia
. It serves as the crossing for Virginia State Route 3
over the river. It was opened on August 30, 1957, and replaced the old ferry service. It is also known by locals as the White Stone Bridge or Rappahannock River Bridge.
Originally conceived in the 1930s, planning work on the bridge began in earnest in 1950, and construction began in 1954. Four workers were killed in construction accidents on the bridge. The Norris Bridge is 9,985 feet long, and provides a Mean High Water clearance of 110 feet under the center span. In its 50+ years there are two known fatal accidents involving cars flipping off the bridge into the water below.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has discussed replacing the narrow, 2-lane bridge with a wider, 4-lane replacement sometime between 2015-2020. When first opened, the bridge was crossed by an just over 1,000 vehicles per day, on average. The tolls were removed from the bridge in 1976, and by 1978 the average daily traffic had risen to over 2,500 vehicles per day. Today, more than 11,000 vehicles cross the two lane bridge each day.
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
that spans the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
between Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,567 people, 5,004 households, and 3,412 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 6,498 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
and Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,932 people, 4,253 households, and 2,913 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 6,362 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It serves as the crossing for Virginia State Route 3
Virginia State Route 3
State Route 3 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia that extends from the town of Culpeper south and eastwardly to Gloucester in Virginia's Middle Peninsula region...
over the river. It was opened on August 30, 1957, and replaced the old ferry service. It is also known by locals as the White Stone Bridge or Rappahannock River Bridge.
Originally conceived in the 1930s, planning work on the bridge began in earnest in 1950, and construction began in 1954. Four workers were killed in construction accidents on the bridge. The Norris Bridge is 9,985 feet long, and provides a Mean High Water clearance of 110 feet under the center span. In its 50+ years there are two known fatal accidents involving cars flipping off the bridge into the water below.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has discussed replacing the narrow, 2-lane bridge with a wider, 4-lane replacement sometime between 2015-2020. When first opened, the bridge was crossed by an just over 1,000 vehicles per day, on average. The tolls were removed from the bridge in 1976, and by 1978 the average daily traffic had risen to over 2,500 vehicles per day. Today, more than 11,000 vehicles cross the two lane bridge each day.