Good news except for the toll.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday signed off on a $100 million project to replace the Jordan Bridge, paving the way for private developers to build a toll span that connects South Norfolk and Portsmouth. Executives with the development team said they hope to complete the project by summer 2011. The plan calls for a toll of about $2. For a while, it seemed that the federal agency's approval was not ensured. The Army Corps of Engineers and parts of the maritime community complained that the size of the 145-foot-high bridge would limit commercial water traffic on the Elizabeth River's Southern Branch, as newer and bigger ships begin to use East Coast ports. The Coast Guard said Friday that the developer responded by widening the bridge's horizontal clearance. Click here to read the full story from the Virginian-Pilot.