NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The city of Norfolk is receiving more than $1.6 million to help build a new bridge as part of the St. Paul’s Transformation Project.
The project is east of downtown Norfolk, within the former Tidewater Gardens neighborhood.
Rep. Bobby Scott said the city would receive $1,666,279 through funds received from the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024, a government funding bill.
“To have the opportunity for our children, for our young people, for our marginalized citizens, to have the opportunity to live like everyone else lives in the city of Norfolk, is a great thing,” said Norfolk Councilman John “JP” Paige.
The Freemason Street Bridge will cost more than $7.6 million. According to the press release, the money will go towards building the Freemason St. Bridge. The bridge would have two lanes and would be 106-foot long and 52 foot wide. It will provide east-west connection between two parts of the city, where this type of connect hasn’t existed before. The bridge will also have sidewalks for pedestrians to cross.
“Students that go to Ruffner [Academy] that will be coming back into the community, they’re so close to Ruffner, just across the street from Tidewater drive, that providing a walkable, accessible ability for those students is really key,” said Norfolk Director of Department of Transportation John Stevenson.
The bridge would go over the 22-acre Blue Greenway Park, which is currently under construction, along Holt and Mariner Street.
The $7 million project will have lights and plants. Mayor Kenny Alexander says it won’t be your average bridge.
“If we can continue to to take down barriers, structures that prevented people from from connecting and from living out their full potential, then we should be about that, and this is another chance to do that, to connect the community, connect the city, with a bridge,” said Mayor Alexander.
The city hopes the bridge will be completed by late summer of 2026.