George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge

For other uses, see Coleman Bridge (disambiguation).

Coleman Bridge
The Coleman Bridge as seen from Yorktown as it connects with Gloucester Point.
Coordinates	37°14′33″N76°30′25″W / 37.2426°N 76.5070°W / 37.2426; -76.5070
Carries	4 lanes of US 17
Crosses	York River
Locale	Gloucester Point and Yorktown, Virginia
Official name	George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge
Maintained by	Virginia Department of Transportation
ID number	000000000019824
Characteristics
Design	Swing bridge, with two swinging spans
Material	High-strength steel
Total length	3,750 feet (1,140 m)
Longest span	450 feet (140 m)
Clearance below	60 feet (18 m)
History
Designer	Parsons Brinckerhoff
Opened	May 7, 1952; rebuilt in spring 1995
Statistics
Daily traffic	33,595 (2005)
Location

The George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge (known locally as simply the Coleman Bridge) is a double swing bridge that spans the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point, in the United States state of Virginia. It connects the Peninsula and Middle Peninsula regions of Tidewater, Virginia. The bridge is the only public crossing of the York River, though State Route 33 crosses both of its tributaries (the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers) just upriver of their confluence at West Point.

History

Originally built in 1952, it was reconstructed and widened in 1995 through an unusual process which greatly reduced the time the important commuter artery was out-of-service from conventional methods. The current 3,750-foot (1,140 m)-long double-swing-span bridge carries United States Route 17, a four-lane arterial highway. The movable span is needed to allow ship access to several military installations that are upstream of the bridge, most notably, the United States Navy's Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. The roadways are almost 90 feet (27 m) above the river at the highest point of the bridge. The bridge is the largest double-swing-span bridge in the United States, and second largest in the world. ^{[1] [2]}

The bridge was named for George P. Coleman, who from 1913 to 1922 was the head of the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, predecessor to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The bridge has been one of the sites of a special program to establish and encourage nesting locations for the peregrine falcon population of Virginia.

The George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge operated as a toll bridge from 1952 until 1976, when the original bonds were paid off. After the bridge was rebuilt, tolls were added again from 1995 until 8:00 PM on Friday August 8th, 2025. ^{[3] [4]} Following a brief closure, the bridge reopened free to all traffic.

Photos

• 
  Bridge swung open as seen from Yorktown side, Summer 2011
• 
  One of the two swing spans while fully turned (open for river traffic)
• 
  Opened bridge as seen from aboard a Navy ship
• 
  Bridge swinging closed as seen from down York River
• 
  Entering Bridge from Yorktown side
• 
  USS Elrod (FFG-55) about to pass through the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge on the York River, Summer 2011
• 
  USS Arleigh Burke traveling under the bridge.

See also

• Transportportal
• Engineeringportal
• Virginiaportal
• List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Virginia

References

1. "BUILDING BIG: Databank: George P. Coleman Bridge". pbs.org.
2. "George P. Coleman Bridge". roadstothefuture.com.
3. "Coleman Bridge will become toll-free on Friday, governor announces". 13newsnow.com. August 5, 2025. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
4. "Toll-free at last: Coleman Bridge to end toll collection early". virginiamercury.com. August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025.

External links

• PBS.org description of the bridge
• George P. Coleman Bridge (1952) at Structurae
• George P. Coleman Bridge (1995) at Structurae
• VDOT website for Peregrine Falcon news
• Roads to the Future: George P. Coleman Bridge
• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. VA-57, " George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge, Spanning York River at United States Route 17, Yorktown, York County, VA "