THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605030481
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CINDY CLAYTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: YORKTOWN LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
The Virginia Department of Transportation has come up with a a number of ways to make life easier for commuters during the 12 days that the Coleman Bridge is closed.
Motorists who need to cross the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point will face a 75-mile detour through West Point.
``I think they're doing the best they can with what they have now,'' said Donna Haywood, an assistant manager at the ABC store in Grafton on the south side of the river. She has to cross the bridge often to help out at the ABC store at Gloucester Point.
To help drivers follow the detour, VDOT has placed hundreds of signs along Interstate 64, U.S. Route 17 and other roads.
Motorists who take the detour will follow U.S. 17 north through Gloucester, then they will head west on state Route 33, through West Point, to Interstate 64. Once on I-64, they will head south toward Williamsburg, Newport News and Hampton.
The state has built and designated special park-and-ride lots on both sides of the river. Free bus service to various employment sites will originate at these lots. In addition, it has set up an HOV lane on Route 33 for carpoolers.
A ferry service will carry pedestrians across the York River for $5 during the closing. Those who ride the ferry will leave their cars at a park-and-ride lot on U.S. 17 in Gloucester and will ride a shuttle bus to the Sarah Creek Marina on the north side of the river to board the ferry. The bus ride is free.
The ferry will run every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon rush hours. Once on the south side of the river at the Wormley Creek Marina, another free bus will drop commuters at the Patriot Square Shopping Center in Yorktown, where they must arrange for a ride.
In addition, VDOT has made arrangements with employers to develop flexible work schedules for inconvenienced workers.
VDOT has also worked with local hotels to provide rate reductions for those who prefer to live close to work during the shutdown.
VDOT and Tidewater Construction, the general contractor, held several public information meetings in Gloucester and Yorktown to hear commuters' concerns.
One major concern is the toll, which will begin in August. Money collected will go to repay $44.9 million borrowed from a state fund.
``I don't see why we should have to have a toll when all the other bridges in the area don't have a toll,'' said Richard Poland. Poland, 59, runs a small market near the foot of the bridge on U.S. 17 in Gloucester.
Poland, who lives in Gloucester Point, probably won't have to cross the bridge and pay the toll that often. But his daughter, Sheila Tinker, lives in Grafton in York County and will have to cross the bridge to work at the store.
Tinker will most likely participate in a fast-toll program, which will be run by a private company, Syntonic, Inc. Applications for the fast toll program will be mailed out soon, VDOT officials said.
Beginning in August, those in the program will be given a magnetic strip for their cars. As the car goes through the toll plaza, a computer scans the strip and automatically subtracts the toll from the motorist's account. The fee for those who use the bridge at least three times in 90 days will be 50 cents, a considerable savings from the one-time fee of $2.
Some folks are planning to avoid hassles during the shutdown by moving in with friends; some have decided to take vacation time.
``I plan to move back in with my parents,'' the 34-year-old Tinker said.
Although Tinker said she thinks the rebuilt bridge will help business in the store, she said she's already tired of the inconvenience.
``I wish it was over with, I'll say that,'' Tinker said. ILLUSTRATION: ABOUT THE BRIDGE
Specifications: The bridge weighs a total of 18,952 tons. The
swing spans are the heaviest spans, at 4,128 tons each. The longest
are the anchor spans, or middle spans, at 560 feet each. The bridge
will be 2,540 feet long.
Detour: Coleman Bridge is scheduled to be closed May 4-16.
Motorists will take a 75-mile detour through the town of West Point
to get across the York River.
Cost: $72.7 million for bridge. Highway approaches, improvements
and toll facilities bring total to $103 million. Old bridge, opened
in 1952, cost $9 million.
Funding: Bonds, $38.1 million; state funds, $4 million; federal
funds, $16 million; $44.9 million borrowed from state toll
facilities revolving account. Tolls will repay this loan.
Tolls: $2 per car. Special rate of 50 cents for commuters.
Designer: Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas Inc., a New
York architectural and engineering firm.
Marine restrictions: Boaters will be kept 500 yards away from the
bridge by the Coast Guard during the 12-day shutdown. The bridge
will not open for ships during the closure and for 30 days
afterward.
KEYWORDS: COLEMAN BRIDGE by CNB