Deep Creek AIWW Bridge Replacement Project

USACE City Council Presentation - February 15, 2022

Updated Estimated Project Timeline (as of May 2022)

Utility relocations: Underway through August 2022
Advertise for construction: June 2022
Award of construction contract: September 2022
Begin construction: Fall 2022
Construction completion: Fall 2025

Note: This project schedule is tentative and subject to change due to the real estate acquisition process, construction bidding process, unforeseen delays in utility relocations and other factors. The schedule will be updated routinely on the City website.

Background

Built in 1934, AIWW Deep Creek Bridge is a federally owned and operated two-lane bridge that crosses the Dismal Swamp Canal at U.S. Route 17 Business.

In October 1996, the approved initial appraisal concluded the bridge is functionally obsolete because of increasing traffic volumes, too narrow of a roadway and poor alignment with the connecting roads.

Replacing the bridge will improve traffic flow, meet Virginia Department of Transportation and City of Chesapeake requirements, and comes at a time in which road improvements are being made to either side of the bridge. The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to replace the Deep Creek Bridge with a five-lane roadway located 100 feet south of the existing bridge. Once construction is completed, the AIWW Deep Creek Bridge will be operated, maintained, and owned by the City of Chesapeake.

Replacement Project Scope

The project, conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will replace the federally-owned Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Deep Creek Bridge; a functionally obsolete two-lane split leaf bascule bridge; with a 144-foot long, 60-foot wide five-lane drawbridge. The project includes improvements to the approaching roadways.

Deep Creek AIW Overview
(click image for larger resolution)

Authorization

The U.S. House of Representatives authorized the replacement of the AIWW Deep Creek Bridge as part of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. WRDA is a bill dedicated to authorizing the activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Cost

Approximately $57.6 million

Maintenance of Traffic Sequence of Construction

Deep Creek AIW Traffic
(click image for larger resolution)

Traffic Flow Improvement

FAQs

Will the bridge be tolled?
No.

Will vehicles still be able to use the bridge during construction?
Yes! The new south span of the bridge will be built first while the current bridge is still in use. Once the south span is completed, traffic will be diverted to that span, the old bridge will be demolished, and the north span will be constructed in its place.

More Information/Updates

Project updates will be posted on this webpage, and on the Active Transportation and Streets Projects page. Traffic impacts due to construction will be listed on the Chesapeake Travel Advisories Calendar, and broadcast via Twitter at @ChesapeakeRoads. For additional information about the Deep Creek AIW Bridge Replacement project, visit the USACE project website.