VDOT News - Fredericksburg

UPDATE (5 p.m. Monday, July 24): Scheduled marine openings will resume starting at 7 p.m. tonight at the Route 223 (Old Ferry Road) bridge over Milford Haven at Gwynn's Island in Mathews County.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Marine openings are suspended until further notice at the Route 223 (Old Ferry Road) bridge over Milford Haven at Gwynn's Island.

Crews are assessing damage to a part essential to opening the bridge's movable swing span. Vehicle traffic on Route 223 crossing between Gwynn's Island and mainland Mathews County is not affected.

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.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will make an announcement when marine openings resume at the six scheduled times a day: 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m.

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. 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.

Learn more about the bridge maintenance project online at virginiadot.org/Route223bridge.

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