A Virginia drawbridge is officially gone, replaced by a fixed bridge

The Coast Guard is removing the operating regulation for the Dominion Boulevard Bridge in Chesapeake, Virginia. The old drawbridge was replaced by a high-level fixed bridge in 2016.

Drawbridges interrupt river traffic for boats and road traffic for cars. Replacing a drawbridge with a fixed bridge means river traffic no longer has to wait for the bridge to open, and road traffic no longer has to wait for it to close. This small change removes a minor but persistent source of friction for both commuters and commercial vessels.