The first of two new bridges across the Dismal Swamp Canal is slated to open in late January.

After 18 months of construction, the Deep Creek Bridge replacement project in Chesapeake is just less than half-completed. New dual spans over the canal will replace the two-lane, 20-foot-wide bridge that was built in 1934.

Officials have deemed the old bridge functionally obsolete. That means it’s safe but inadequate for current demands. About 30,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge, which carries U.S. 17 Business south toward Elizabeth City. Moses Grandy Trail connects to the east side of the bridge, which continues as Cedar Road toward the Great Bridge area.

The Deep Creek neighborhood’s growth has brought more traffic, pushing the capacity of the crossing beyond its intended capacity, Phillip Abbott, resident engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District, said during a recent site visit.

As an example, Abbott said, large emergency vehicles often must wait for both lanes of the narrow bridge to clear. With the new bridge, “I kind of joke we’re going from the Model T to the F-150,” Abbott said.

Final work is ongoing on the south leaf of the bridge, which will be a two-lane span carrying eastbound traffic. Once that span opens, demolition of the old bridge will begin, followed by construction of a three-lane span for t westbound traffic. The cost is about $60 million.

Looking ahead, Abbott said the weather is now the main factor that will determine when the new bridge will go into service.
Recent asphalt placement on the west side of the bridge marks a key step in preparing for the traffic shift to the new bridge span as part of the Deep Creek Bridge Replacement Project. (Courtesy/U.S. Army photo by Alysia Rigano)

On a chilly Thursday afternoon a week before Thanksgiving, work was in progress at various areas around the site. Some workers were on a lift underneath the new span, which is painted dark green, as traffic rumbled by on the old bridge.

Progress continues on the Deep Creek Bridge Replacement project as crew members work in a lift under the bridge, preparing for the next major milestone, shifting traffic to the new span. (Courtesy/U.S. Army photo by Alysia Rigano)

Inside the new bridge tender’s house, a large control panel with a digital screen and rows of switches and indicator lights controls the bridge’s lift operations. Below the control room, more rooms house the bridge’s hydraulic and electrical equipment.

Groundwork to replace the bridge began in 1977. But funding and planning issues delayed the project for nearly 50 years, according to the Corps of Engineers. Now, with construction expected to continue until late 2027, city council member Les Smith urged patience from residents.

The bridge, Smith said, has “been an ongoing problem for years” and a frequent source of complaints, “but we’ve got to look at it from an optimistic standpoint of ‘Now it’s happening.’ We’ve just got to wait [the project] out… We just ask everyone to continue to be patient,” Smith said.

Once completed, the federal government plans to transfer the Deep Creek Bridge to the city once all final inspections are completed, Alisa Rigano, a corps spokesperson said. “This aligns with USACE’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of bridges in our inventory.”

The corps followed a similar process when the current iteration of the Great Bridge Bridge opened in 2004.

Chesapeake has 111 bridges and culverts that are subject to National Bridge Inspection Standards, Allison Harper, a city spokesperson, said in an email. In addition to the Great Bridge Bridge, the city owns and operates the Gilmerton Bridge and Centerville Turnpike Bridge.

The Virginia Department of Transportation owns all of the interstate bridges in the city, while the Jordan Bridge is owned by a private partnership. While the Jordan Bridge is tolled, the Deep Creek Bridge will remain toll-free.

“We are working closely with the USACE during construction to ensure seamless transition from their operation to ours,” Harper said. “We will continue to coordinate with the USACE as they will still operate the Deep Creek Locks which vessels pass through immediately before or after transiting the bridge.”

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/27/one-deep-creek-bridge-to-open/