Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge
View of the central portion of the bridge, taken from the roadway below
Carries	SR 106 / SR 156
Crosses	James River
Locale	Jordan's Point
Named for	Benjamin Harrison
Owner	Virginia Department of Transportation
Maintained by	VDOT
Characteristics
Total length	1 mile
Longest span	360ft
Number of spans	5
History
Engineering design by	Hardesty & Hanover L.L.P.
Opened	1966
Replaces	Ferry service

The Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a vertical-lift bridge. It crosses the James River in Virginia. This bridge connects Prince George County and Charles City County. It carries cars and trucks on Route 106 and Route 156.

The bridge is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). It was named after Benjamin Harrison V. He was an important person who signed the Declaration of Independence. He also served as a Governor of Virginia. His home, Berkeley Plantation, was nearby.

The Benjamin Harrison Bridge was first finished in 1966. Later, in 1977, a ship crashed into it. The bridge had to be rebuilt. This took about 20 months to complete. The repairs cost a lot of money, but the shipping company's insurance paid for it.

Today, the bridge is also known for its special program. VDOT staff work with the College of William and Mary. They help peregrine falcons nest and raise their young on the bridge's tall towers.

Building the Bridge

The Benjamin Harrison Bridge is about one mile long. It was built in 1966 by Hardesty & Hanover L.L.P. This company is a bridge engineering firm from New York. The bridge was built to replace an old ferry service.

This bridge has a special part called a vertical lift span. This part can be raised up. It helps large ships pass underneath on the James River. The river is busy with shipping traffic, especially from Hampton Roads up to the Port of Richmond.

The 1977 Ship Accident

On February 24, 1977, a big accident happened at the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge. A large tanker ship called the Marine Floridian was heading down the river. It was a 523-foot-long ship.

How the Crash Happened

As the ship got close to the bridge, its steering system stopped working. The ship suddenly lost control. The bridge operator had already lifted the bridge's movable section. This was to let the ship pass safely. Cars were waiting behind the safety gates.

But the ship veered off course. It blew its warning horn. People in cars on the bridge saw the ship coming right at them. They quickly got out of their cars and ran to safety. The ship then crashed into a fixed part of the bridge.

The ship missed the open, movable part of the bridge. It hit a concrete section next to the north tower. Two empty cars fell into the river. These included a van and a pickup truck. The bridge's north tower stopped the ship's forward movement. The bridge operator was stuck in the control booth on the lifted part of the bridge. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt or killed in the accident.

Right after the crash, a tugboat and a local resident in a small boat rushed to help. The U.S. Coast Guard also sent a diver by helicopter to check the area.

What Happened After the Crash

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the United States Coast Guard came to the scene. Virginia's Governor also sent help. Engineers were called to check the damage. They also started planning how to fix the bridge.

The accident destroyed two sections of the bridge. It also damaged the north tower and the lift span. The south tower was also badly hurt. This meant no cars could cross the bridge. Ships could not pass on the river either. This caused big problems for people and businesses.

Helping Commuters

Closing the bridge made it very hard for people to get to work. Before the bridge was built, a car ferry used to operate there. But the old ferry docks were not usable anymore. Other driving routes were too long. The closest bridge was far away.

State officials quickly found a solution. They asked local bus and water transportation companies for ideas. They chose a mix of land and water services. This created a special system for commuters.

A company called Virginia Overland Transportation (VOTC) set up a shuttle bus and van service. These vehicles operated on both sides of the river. Another company provided a passenger ferry system. These small ferries could use the old docks.

Commuters could drive to the ferry dock. They would park their cars there. Then, they would ride the ferry across the river. On the other side, vans or buses would take them to their jobs. This system was called "Park, Ride, and Ride."

This emergency service started just three days after the accident. It ran from morning until evening. It helped people get to schools and jobs. For example, people living on the south side of the river could get to Fort Lee. This quick action helped avoid major problems for commuters.

Later, a small barge guided by a tugboat was added. It could carry a few cars and light trucks. But most people still preferred the "Park, Ride, and Ride" system. These special services continued for 20 months until the bridge was fixed.

Rebuilding the Bridge

About 10 days after the crash, the damaged south tower of the bridge fell onto the ship. The entire lift part of the bridge and some sections of the north side needed to be rebuilt. McLean Contracting Company did this work.

The rebuilding cost $9.5 million and took 20 months. One change made during rebuilding was moving the bridge operator's control station. It was moved to a fixed part of the bridge. This way, it would not go up and down with the lift span.

Experts had warned that the bridge was at a tricky spot on the river. They said the traffic gates should be moved further back. This would prevent cars from falling into the river if a ship hit the bridge. Even after the accident, these gates were not moved.

Who Was Responsible?

The NTSB investigated the accident. They found that the shipping company operating the Marine Floridian was responsible for the damages. The State of Virginia sued the company. A court decided the company had to pay for the repairs.

The rebuilt Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge reopened in the fall of 1978. The total cost of the accident was $9.7 million.

Peregrine Falcon Program

Eastern Virginia is home to many birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. These birds were once endangered. VDOT learned that some of its tall bridges are perfect places for these birds to nest. They are like high cliffs.

VDOT started an amazing program to help these rare birds. They put nesting boxes on several bridges, including the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge. Now, about 30 percent of Virginia's peregrine falcon population lives on bridges.

In 2003, many peregrine falcon chicks hatched on VDOT bridges. Most of these chicks, called "eyases," were taken from their nests. They were given tracking bands and then released into the wild. For example, three chicks from the Benjamin Harrison Bridge were banded. Two of them were released at Shenandoah National Park. Leaving one chick with its parents is good, but releasing them in the wild helps them survive better. Young falcons learning to fly might fall onto the bridge or into the water.

VDOT employees who work on the bridge can see the nesting boxes. They can even look into the nests when they go up the towers to work on the bridge's opening parts. Opening the bridge does not bother the falcons. Bridge workers keep the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary updated on the birds.

Peregrine falcons were listed as endangered in 1970. There were almost none left in the eastern U.S. Their numbers had dropped a lot across the country. Since the 1970s, a big effort has been made to help them recover. Thanks to programs like VDOT's, their population has grown a lot. Today, over 1,500 breeding pairs are counted in the U.S. and Canada.

VDOT works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other groups. They watch the falcons on each bridge to make sure they are healthy. VDOT even has special rules for bridge construction to protect these birds.

Because of VDOT's work, these amazing birds, known as the world's fastest, fly high over Virginia again. VDOT won an award in 1998 for its important role in helping the peregrine falcon population recover.