While construction was carried out, a health and safety officer was tasked with watching for sea turtles so that the work would not impact any nests. Over time, after the city continued to work with VDOT to show the structure would be durable, about $80 million eventually made its way from the governor’s transportation fund to support the project.The aesthetic features and lighting designs along the bridge attract the attention of residents and tourists in the area. Way to go VB, even made it pretty with lighting, a Cool sculpture and pedestrian accesible. Contractor: McLean Contracting Company Inc. One of the factors that was considered in the design phase of the project was to create more space between the pier columns in order to provide unobstructed views of the Chesapeake Bay and Lynnhaven River, since the current bridge had spacing of piles that were 50 ft apart, thus obscuring the views. They were designed by Randy Burkett Lighting Design. Website. The aesthetic lighting features served as the most appropriate finishing touch for the completion of the 1,575-ft dual-span structure which the surrounding community wanted to serve as a signature bridge—a gateway to Virginia Beach. “People really love coming to the bridge—more than just crossing over the top, it becomes an experience sitting underneath the bridge and seeing the lights from the beach,” Wojtowicz said. “We were doing annual bridge inspections, and we saw the sufficiency rating going down to a point where it was going to be very costly to do retrofits to the existing bridge.” The possibility of a new structure did not only provide the city with the opportunity to replace the bridge, but to also add pedestrian and bike accommodations across a new facility—improvements that would serve to enhance mobility in the region.In addition to challenging environmental conditions, concerns about environmental impact also affected the team’s approach to the project. It makes an impression on folks that see it.”The public reception just goes to show that Virginia Beach has successfully established its gateway into the city.“We could not afford to have a bridge that’s been there for almost 50 years be subject to potential weight restrictions,” Christopher J. Wojtowicz, P.E., construction bureau manager with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Works, told Roads & Bridges. The first bridge in the same location, a draw-bridge, had been constructed in 1928, replaced in 1958 by what are now the eastbound lanes of a dual span. Over time, after the city continued to work with VDOT to show the structure would be durable, about $80 million eventually made its way from the governor’s transportation fund to support the project.The aesthetic features and lighting designs along the bridge attract the attention of residents and tourists in the area. “We couldn’t just reduce the traffic capacity because if we did, it would be an 18-mile detour [for motorists] from one side of the Lynnhaven Inlet to the other.” The first phase of the project removed the exterior beam of the existing westbound bridge, and the team shifted traffic over from that bridge to the existing eastbound lanes in order to make room for the new westbound bridge’s construction. The city had decided early on that they wanted a segmental bridge in order to have longer spans, more curves on the structure, and an aesthetic quality that would fit the bridge into the landscape. A nice redo of a bridge that needed help. “We were doing annual bridge inspections, and we saw the sufficiency rating going down to a point where it was going to be very costly to do retrofits to the existing bridge.” The possibility of a new structure did not only provide the city with the opportunity to replace the bridge, but to also add pedestrian and bike accommodations across a new facility—improvements that would serve to enhance mobility in the region.In addition to challenging environmental conditions, concerns about environmental impact also affected the team’s approach to the project. The Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach, Virginia connects the bay area to the Virginia Beach shore via Shore Drive (U.S. Route 60) — crossing the Lynnhaven Inlet at the mouth the Chesapeake Bay.