Travelers going to or leaving Gwynn’s Island during overnight hours next week can expect delays on Route 223 (Old Ferry Road) as repair work continues on the 85-year-old bridge, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Vehicle traffic will be stopped as crews repair the moveable swing span bridge over Milford Haven, which connects Gwynn’s Island and mainland Mathews.
The contractor will stop vehicle traffic at each bridge approach for up to 30-minute intervals between 11 p.m. Monday, July 24 and 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 25, and from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, July 26.
A bridge maintenance project is underway to improve the condition of the bridge’s mechanical elements connected with the moveable swing span.
Built in 1938, the bridge opens for marine traffic approximately 3,000 times a year, which is more than any other state-maintained movable bridge in Virginia.
The bridge’s navigational clearance is 11 feet vertically and 80 feet horizontally when closed. Watercraft that cannot navigate underneath the bridge within this clearance requires an opening.
Work is anticipated to be complete in fall 2023. When construction is finished, the project will restore the ability of the bridge to open on demand for marine traffic.
Currently, there are six scheduled openings a day for large vessels at the following times: 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Learn more about the project online at virginiadot.org/Route223bridge.