THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, May 6, 1996                    TAG: 9605060031
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY CINDY CLAYTON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: YORKTOWN                           LENGTH: Short :   36 lines

DESPITE WIND, FIRST HALF OF THE COLEMAN BRIDGE IS TAKEN DOWN.

High winds slowed, but did not halt the dismantling of the old George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge over the weekend.

Tidewater Construction Corp. crews removed the first swing span of the double-swing span bridge Saturday, then removed two more sections of the bridge on Sunday.

When they were finished, only half a bridge stood over the York River.

The Coleman bridge, the largest double-swing span in the country, stretches a half-mile over the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point.

Tidewater Construction has 12 days to remove the old bridge, then replace it with six new spans built at Norfolk International Terminals.

The old section was pushed to Norfolk by tugs Saturday afternoon and arrived at Norfolk International Terminals about 4:15 a.m. Sunday. As the five remaining sections are removed, they too will be floated to NIT, placed atop the same concrete pilings used to build the new spans, and then demolished.

A Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman said Sunday that crews were working to set the first new section in place. Weather permitting, Tidewater Construction officials hope to have the entire bridge replaced by May 11. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on May 16.

The new bridge will be double the capacity of the old, with four lanes of traffic, two shoulder lanes and a concrete median barrier. Its deck is topped with concrete for better traction.

KEYWORDS: COLEMAN BRIDGE by CNB