Public Works Department - Bridges & Structures

Jordan Bridge
Facts - History & Current Use

Jordan Bridge Facts, Photos & Resources

History

The Jordan Bridge, located at Poindexter Street in South Norfolk west of I-464, crosses the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. It is the oldest operating lift bridge in the state of Virginia. Originally known as the Norfolk-Portsmouth Bridge, the bridge was completed at a cost of $1.25 million, and opened on August 24, 1928 as a toll bridge with a ceremony attended by Virginia's Governor Harry F. Byrd.

At that time, it was felt by most that this bridge had done more to change the map of Tidewater Virginia than any development which had taken place since the first settlers landed. Norfolk, being virtually on an island, had been connected with Portsmouth only be ferries since the early Colonial days. The building of the Jordan Bridge made possible the first continuous highway between Norfolk, South Norfolk (new Chesapeake) and Portsmouth and from Richmond to the Sea.

It is a Waddell & Harrington vertical lift drawbridge and was designed by Harrington, Howard, & Ash (engineers) of Kansas City, Missouri. The construction was planned and financing organized by South Norfolk businessman Carl M. Jordan, who operated Jordan Brothers Lumber Co. with his brother Wallace. The Jordans brought lumber from the Great Dismal Swamp to their mill in South Norfolk, and had come to believe that the existing Norfolk County Ferry Service was not dependable enough for the needs of their business, or others in the community.

The bridge was renamed for Carl Jordan many years later. Carl Jordan also served as general manager and executive vice president of the South Norfolk Bridge Commission, Inc., a non-profit corporation organized to manage the bridge in 1944. Ownership of the bridge was transferred to the City of Chesapeake after the Bridge Commission's indebtedness was finally satisfied in 1977.

The Jordan Bridge has been struck by ships many times. On June 2, 1939, an oil tanker struck it, and the east tower and lift span collapsed into the river, injuring two bridge employees, and closing it for more than 6 months. Another major collision of a ship occurred on June 13, 1943. In more recent years, there have been periodic problems with the lift mechanism in addition to occasional collisions, the most recent in January, 2004.

Current Use

Approximately 7,000 vehicles consisting of military personnel, small commercial vehicles, and commuters utilize the bridge daily. The bridge is heavily traveled during morning and afternoon rush hours by shipyard workers from Norfolk Naval Shipyard and sailors of the ships docked there. As the bridge and the approaches to it are only one lane in each direction, traffic backups and delays can be expected. More than 10,000 lifts a year occur for over 21,500 marine traffic vessels.

Currently operated by the City of Chesapeake's Department of Public Works, it has a restricted weight limit of 3 tons (6,000 pounds). The toll, collected on the Chesapeake side, for both directions is 50 cents for motorcycles, 75 cents for two axle vehicles, $1.00 for three axles and $1.25 for four axles. There are no facilities for electronic toll collection (neither E-ZPass nor Smart Tag is accepted on the Jordan Bridge).