CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — The Great Bridge Bridge in Chesapeake was closed to traffic for several hours Tuesday, during rush hour, because of a malfunction.
The malfunction was heat related, the city said. Tuesday’s temperatures reached the mid-to-upper 90s, with heat indices between 105 and 112 degrees.
Battlefield Boulevard South had been closed in both directions at the bridge since before 3:30 p.m. because of the malfunction. Images from live traffic cameras showed police directing traffic at the intersection with Kempsville Road.
It happened at the start of rush hour, leaving drivers like Tony Baker stuck.
“Made it almost to the bridge, saw the cops and everybody turned around everybody waving everybody around, and we had to go back up towards Battlefield [Boulevard] just to get around to cross the bridge,” Baker said.
The city and a WAVY viewer provided several images Tuesday afternoon showing crews spraying the bridge with water. Another WAVY viewer, David McBirney, sent in video below:
The fire department assisted with this effort. The images also clearly show the portion of the bridge that wouldn’t close.
The exact cause for the malfunction is unclear. Chesapeake Fire Captain and PIO Steven Bradley said that information will come from the city’s Public Works Department.
The bridge reopened just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, but with more hot temperatures on the horizon, some wonder if this could happen again here, or on any other bridge. It’s a sight many have never seen before.
“I’ve been with the city for 26 years and I definitely can’t recall it,” Bradley said.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.