Edward E. Willey Bridge

Last updated
Edward E. Willey Bridge
Coordinates 37°33′34″N77°34′17″W / 37.5594°N 77.5714°W / 37.5594; -77.5714
CarriesChippenham Parkway
CrossesJames River
LocaleHenrico County, Virginia
Named for Edward E. Willey
History
Construction endDecember 1989 [1]
Statistics
TollNo
Location
Edward E. Willey Bridge

Edward E. Willey Bridge is a highway bridge which crosses the upper James River (above the fall line at Richmond) in the western portion of Henrico County, Virginia. It carries Chippenham Parkway (State Route 150) between Parham Road in Henrico and the southwestern portion of the independent city of Richmond. It was named in honor of Edward E. Willey who was a Pharmacist and State Senator in the Virginia General Assembly from 1952 to 1983. He died in 1986.

Since the 18th century, bridges (and earlier ferry service) across the James River have been a major issue for residents of the City of Richmond, the former City of Manchester (merged into Richmond in 1910), and the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield on the north and south sides respectively.

The Willey Bridge and an adjacent portion of Chippenham Parkway were constructed with funds generated by a special continuation of tolls granted by the U.S. Congress for a period of time on a portion of the former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (I-95) in the 1980s. This funding enabled the Willey Bridge (as it is known locally) to be opened as a toll free facility. The bridge began construction before 1988 and was complete in December 1989 along with the extension connecting it to the Chippenham Parkway. [1]

The James River is relatively shallow where the Willey Bridge crosses well above the falls of the river at Richmond. In contrast, at the south end of the Chippenham Parkway, a very costly high-level bridge was required on the Pocahontas Parkway to cross over the navigable tidal portion of the same river downstream of the deepwater Port of Richmond.

The bridge is a peculiar design, as it makes somewhat of an "S" shape. As you travel north on the bridge, it takes a left hand turn on the south end remains straight over the river and turns right on the north end. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesterfield County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the south. Its county seat is Chesterfield Court House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bon Air, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Bon Air is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a part of the Southside neighborhoods. Originally developed as a resort, a central portion of Bon Air has been designated as a National Historic District with many structures of Victorian design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its name means "good air," reflecting its role as a resort getaway that wealthy Richmonders enjoyed for its fresh air as opposed to the dirty air of Richmond's industrial downtown of the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James River</span> River in Virginia, United States

The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows 348 miles (560 km) to the Chesapeake Bay. The river length extends to 444 miles (715 km) if the Jackson River is included, the longer of its two headwaters. It is the longest river in Virginia. Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia's first colonial capitals, and Richmond, Virginia's current capital, lie on the James River.

This article is about the many neighborhoods and districts in the Greater Richmond, Virginia area. Note that this article is an attempt to be inclusive of the broader definitions of the areas which are often considered part of the Greater Richmond Region, based on their urban or suburban character and nature, rather than by strictly political boundaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 895</span> State highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 895, also known as the Pocahontas Parkway and Pocahontas 895, is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It connects the junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with Interstate 295 near Richmond International Airport in Henrico County, forming part of a southeastern bypass of Richmond. Due to a quirk in the evolution of the road, the long-planned designation of Interstate 895 could not be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 150</span> State highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 150 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Chippenham Parkway, the state highway runs 15.19 miles (24.45 km) from Interstate 95 (I-95) and SR 895 in Bensley north to Parham Road and River Road near Tuckahoe in Henrico County. SR 150 is a four- to six-lane circumferential highway that connects the Chesterfield County suburbs of Richmond with western Henrico County and, via SR 895, eastern Henrico County and Richmond International Airport. The highway is a freeway except for a short stretch east of SR 147 in Richmond. SR 150 has junctions with all of the radial highways south of the James River, including I-95, U.S. Route 1, US 301, US 360, US 60, and SR 76.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward E. Willey</span> American politician

Edward Eugene Willey, Sr. of Richmond, Virginia, was a pharmacist and politician from Virginia. He served as Senate Majority Leader in the Virginia General Assembly. He was also the father-in-law of Kathleen Willey, who was a figure in the Lewinsky scandal in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 161</span> Highway in Richmond, Virginia, United States

State Route 161 is a primary state highway in and near Richmond, Virginia, United States. It extends from an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in the independent city of Richmond north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 in the Lakeside area of central Henrico County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southside (Richmond, Virginia)</span>

The Southside of Richmond is an area of the Metropolitan Statistical Area surrounding Richmond, Virginia. It generally includes all portions of the City of Richmond that lie south of the James River, and includes all of the former city of Manchester. Depending on context, the term "Southside of Richmond" can include some northern areas of adjacent Chesterfield County, Virginia in the Richmond-Petersburg region. With minor exceptions near Bon Air, VA, the Chippenham Parkway forms the border between Chesterfield County and the City of Richmond portions of Southside, with some news agencies using the term "South Richmond" to refer to the locations in Southside located in the city proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 147</span>

State Route 147 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs 13.13 miles (21.13 km) from U.S. Route 60 in Midlothian east to US 60 in Richmond. In various places, it is known as Huguenot Road, River Road, Cary Street Road and Main Street. SR 147 connects Midlothian with the West End of Richmond via the Huguenot Memorial Bridge across the James River. Within Richmond, the state highway follows Cary Street, a major thoroughfare that connects the city's two major universities, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, with Downtown Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Virginia</span> Overview of land sea and air transport systems in Virginia

Transportation in the Commonwealth of Virginia is by land, sea and air. Virginia's extensive network of highways and railroads were developed and built over a period almost 400 years, beginning almost immediately after the founding of Jamestown in 1607, and often incorporating old established trails of the Native Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Richmond, Virginia</span>

Transportation in Richmond, Virginia and its immediate surroundings include land, sea and air modes. This article includes the independent city and portions of the contiguous counties of Henrico and Chesterfield. While almost all of Henrico County would be considered part of the Richmond area, southern and eastern portions of Chesterfield adjoin the three smaller independent cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights, collectively commonly called the Tri-Cities area. A largely rural section of southwestern Chesterfield may be considered not a portion of either suburban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westham Bridge</span> Bridge in Henrico, Virginia

Westham Bridge crossed the James River between Henrico County and Chesterfield County. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam and Williams Island Dam just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line of the James River at Richmond, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powhite Creek</span>

Powhite Creek is an 8.0-mile-long (12.9 km) stream rising near the unincorporated community of Bon Air in Chesterfield County and flowing into the independent city of Richmond in central Virginia. The creek empties into the James River in the region of the Fall Line, where the rapids of the James are located upstream from the head of navigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 95 in Virginia</span> Interstate Highway in Virginia

Interstate 95 (I-95) runs 179 miles (288 km) within the commonwealth of Virginia between its borders with North Carolina and Maryland. I-95 meets the northern terminus of I-85 in Petersburg and is concurrent with I-64 for three miles (4.8 km) in Richmond. Although I-95 was originally planned as a highway through Washington, D.C., it was rerouted along the eastern portion of the Capital Beltway concurrent with I-495. From Petersburg to Richmond, I-95 utilized most of the Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike, a former toll road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 301 in Virginia</span>

U.S. Route 301 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sarasota, Florida, to Biddles Corner, Delaware. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs 142.70 miles (229.65 km) from the North Carolina state line near Skippers north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Dahlgren. US 301 forms the local complement to Interstate 95 (I-95) from Emporia to Petersburg. The U.S. Highway runs concurrently with US 1 between Petersburg and the state capital of Richmond, where the highways form one of the main north–south avenues. US 301 continues north concurrent with Virginia State Route 2 to Bowling Green, forming an eastern alternative to I-95 and US 1 north of Richmond. At Bowling Green, which is connected to I-95 by SR 207, US 301 becomes the primary highway connecting Richmond and the Northern Neck with Southern Maryland. US 301 was constructed in four main segments: as the original SR 24 and then US 17-1 south of Petersburg, as US 1 from Petersburg to Richmond, as SR 2 from Richmond to Bowling Green, and as part of SR 207 toward Dahlgren. US 301 replaced US 17–1 in the early 1930s and was extended from Petersburg north along its current course into Maryland when the Potomac River Bridge was completed in 1940.

Powhite Parkway Bridge crosses the James River in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries the Powhite Parkway, also known as Virginia State Route 76. The bridge is owned and maintained by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, and was funded with revenue bonds which are repaid from user tolls. There is no bridge toll to cross the Powhite Parkway Bridge, however the toll plazas located south of the bridge prohibit drivers from crossing the bridge without paying a Powhite Parkway toll.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge carries the Pocahontas Parkway, signed as State Route 895, across the James River between the independent city of Richmond and Henrico County. Crossing the southernmost extremity of Richmond, it provides a connection between Henrico and the southern end of Chippenham Parkway near U.S. Route 1 in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East End (Richmond, Virginia)</span>

The East End of Richmond, Virginia is the quadrant of the City of Richmond, Virginia, and more loosely the Richmond metropolitan area, east of the downtown.

Parham Road is a circumferential highway in Henrico County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The highway runs 12.08 miles (19.44 km) from Virginia State Route 150 near Tuckahoe east to U.S. Route 301 and SR 2 in Chamberlayne. Parham Road serves the northwestern suburbs of Richmond, including Tuckahoe, Laurel, and Chamberlayne. The four-lane divided highway intersects all of the major highways that extend northwest and north from the city, including Interstate 64 (I-64) and I-95. Parham Road is county maintained except for the portion that is State Route 73, a connector between US 1 and I-95. The Parham Road name was applied to a small portion of the current route by the early 20th century. SR 73 was constructed in the early 1960s. Most of Parham Road from SR 6 to US 1 was constructed as a new four-lane divided highway by Henrico County in the late 1960s; the existing sections were upgraded at the same time. The highway was extended east to its present terminus in the late 1970s. Parham Road was completed south to its present western terminus in 1990 concurrent with the extension of SR 150 across the James River from the Southside of Richmond to Henrico County.

References

  1. 1 2 Annual Report. Richmond Metropolitan Authority. 1997. p. 18. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  2. "boshercanal.png" (PNG). Virginia Places. Archived (PNG) from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2023.

Coordinates: 37°33′34″N77°34′17″W / 37.55944°N 77.57139°W / 37.55944; -77.57139