Washington Avenue between 39th and 41st Street will be closed to all traffic from 6 am on Saturday, February 11 until 5 am Monday, February 13 to allow the contractor to shift the traffic pattern for the Phase 2 portion of the Washington Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacement project. The Washington Avenue Bridge project, located at 40th Street over the Newport News Shipbuilding railway, includes replacement of the bridge deck, beams and upper part of the stone abutments. The existing seventy year old bridge superstructure has deteriorated and currently the loads allowed to cross the bridge are restricted.

Conducting a detour during the weekend allows the lane shift to be accomplished with the least disruption to Newport News Shipbuilding and the traveling public. The new traffic pattern will maintain two-way traffic (one lane northbound and one lane southbound) on Washington Avenue. The lanes and pedestrian walkway will shift to the newly rebuilt east side of the bridge from the west side, which is being demolished and reconstructed.

The $2.3 million reconstruction project started in July 2016 and is on schedule for completion late Fall 2017.