Officials Confirm Link Between New Steel Deck on James River Bridge and Accident Surge

As a personal injury lawyer working in Hampton Roads, VA I am acutely aware there is no shortage of crashes on the bridges and in the tunnels around Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.

But the James River Bridge linking Newport News with the Isle of Wight has been under scrutiny by Virginia Department of Transportation officials after the public noticed an increase in crashes, reported WAVY.com.

VDOT presented its findings this week after a three-month analysis of the James River Bridge grid deck and its roadway which was replaced last year.

Officials confirmed the hunch of the public that the James River Bridge had become more dangerous was spot-on.

VDOT said they had picked up on a rise in crashes two months after the steel grid deck was replaced. VDO’s reported alluded to 20 accidents on the JRB between February and June.

“Safety is paramount. As soon as we recognized this was a problem we started looking at it,” Hampton Roads VDOT administrator Jim Utterback was reported as saying.

Most of the accidents were on southbound lanes. They occurred in wet weather conditions. There was also a common factor in many of the vehicles involve, with trucks and SUVs involved in many of these accidents.

You don’t need to be an experienced Newport News car accident injury lawyer to know there’s a problem on the James River Bridge.

Tragically one 20-year-old driver from the Isle of Wight who lost control on the drawbridge section of the James River Bridge during wet weather lost her life.

WAVY.com reported VDOT says it intended to make immediate changes to make the deck safer. The installation of studs on the grid deck surface is expected to provide “enhanced vehicle traction.”

VDOT is to start installing the studs late summer/early fall. The $800,000 work is expected to last three months.

If you have lost a loved one on the highways of Virginia you may have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Contact our Newport News personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.