Manchester residents worry wave of bridge projects could cut off bike-ped access across river for years
Manchester residents are worried the overhaul of a popular footbridge and an ambitious schedule of transportation improvements could cause the booming neighborhood’s pedestrian and bike access across the James River to be cut off for long periods of time.
“Can we come up with another solution? I think that’s what everybody’s going to ask for,” said Manchester resident Ray Olson to applause at a meeting of the Manchester Alliance earlier this month.
This fall, the Department of Public Works unveiled preliminary plans to replace the Manchester Connection, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Norfolk Southern’s railroad tracks and ties into the popular T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge.
Engineers with the Department of Public Works and consultants RK&K repeatedly said the design of the roughly $6.3 million project is still in its early stages and the city is considering all options. But whatever solution they land on, the bridge replacement is expected to take between a “best-case scenario” of 12 to 15 months and a worst-case scenario of two years, said David Gutermuth, a project manager with RK&K.
Much of the delay is expected to be due to the difficulty of coordinating with the railroad, which actively runs trains along the line and requires flaggers onsite for parts of construction. While the bridge is shut, “the only legal access would be from the Floodwall,” said Gutermuth.
That possibility has filled many residents with dismay — particularly because other major closures are expected as Richmond rebuilds the Mayo Bridge and revamps the pedestrian corridor down the center of the 9th Street Bridge into a shared use path for the Fall Line Trail.
Sarah Vogelsong
“What are the possibilities to stagger things?” asked Woodland Heights resident Lisa Hatcher at the Manchester Alliance meeting. “The idea of the city putting together everything all at the same time is absolutely ridiculous.”
Schedules and details of all three projects are evolving, but Jensen Gavulic, a spokesperson for Richmond’s Department of Transportation, outlined the latest plans for The Richmonder:
Mayo Bridge: Construction is expected to begin in August 2028 and conclude in spring 2033. The bridge will remain open to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists during the initial stages of construction, but a full closure will eventually be necessary. During that time cyclists will be detoured to the 9th Street Bridge and pedestrians to GRTC buses.
“The exact timing and duration of that closure have not yet been determined and will depend on the construction approach selected by the design-build team,” said Gavulic in an email.
9th Street Bridge: Construction is expected to begin in fall 2029, although Gavulic said the project team “is exploring opportunities to advance that timeline.”
“The city intends to maintain pedestrian and bicycle connectivity across the Manchester Bridge throughout construction,” she wrote. “While specific access arrangements and potential restrictions will be determined as the design progresses, maintaining these connections remains a project requirement.”
Manchester Connection: Construction is expected to begin in summer 2028 and last up to two years. Gavulic said that “engineers are working to reduce the duration of the closure.”
Janet Woodka, president of the Manchester Alliance, said even a six-month closure of the Manchester Connection “is not acceptable to the community.”
“We’re not being selfish. We’re not just talking about Manchester,” she said. “We’re talking about everybody on the Southside having access to the north side of the river. We are talking about businesses like Allianz Ampitheater and Costar. I mean, there’s Costar employees here who walk across it every day going to work.”
Sarah Vogelsong
Unlike the Mayo Bridge, which the state has classified as structurally deficient for years, engineers consider the Manchester Connection to be in good shape.
“The substructure is very robust. It is a very well-built bridge by the Army Corps of Engineers,” said Gutermuth.
What’s driving the replacement of the upper part of the bridge (the bottom will be left intact) is the desire to expand the width from its current 6 feet to 10 feet, allowing it to become a safer shared-use path for both pedestrians and bikers. The expansion will also allow it to serve as what Gutermuth called “a critical spur for the Fall Line Trail,” which will cross the river on the 9th Street Bridge.
Gavulic told The Richmonder that the city “recognizes the importance of maintaining pedestrian and bicycle connections between Manchester and downtown, particularly as several major transportation projects move toward construction.”
“While construction will bring temporary disruptions, these improvements are part of a larger effort to build a safer, more connected and accessible Richmond for generations to come,” she said.
Contact Reporter Sarah Vogelsong at svogelsong@richmonder.org
