State, city launch feasibility study for new Jackson Ward bridge in Richmond

The Virginia Department of Transportation and Richmond City planners are starting work on a feasibility study that will explore the option of building a new bridge deck over I-95 in the Jackson Ward neighborhood.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the start of the study on Thursday, noting that the goal of the project is to assess possible infrastructure projects that would help reconnect the historic African American community that was divided when the interstate roadway was originally built in the 1950s.

"In the past, highway construction too often destroyed neighborhoods in the name of ‘progress,’” Northam said in a statement. “Now, some 70 years later, we now have the opportunity to explore ways to right these wrongs and re-connect historic neighborhoods.”

A spokesperson for the governor said VDOT has allocated $825,000 from a planning budget for the study. Federal funding could also soon be available from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed last month.

Read more: https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-city-launch-feasibility-study-for-new-jackson-ward-bridge-in-richmond/article_701858ed-871f-51b5-9fcd-a8320dc0512e.html