Gilmerton Highway Bridge – Click for Chartview

Due to major construction, the Gilmerton Highway Bridge, with a closed vertical clearance of 35ft, crosses the Waterway just south of Norfolk at statute mile 5.8 and has been under opening restrictions for over three years. After many, many Local Notices and updates, the bridge has returned to an almost normal operating schedule (/?p=130965) with updated exceptions listed below. SSECN is grateful to Matt, a Gilmerton Bridge tender, for compiling the latest information posted below. Of particular interest to cruisers is the note: “The barges will occupy the entire channel, leaving no clearance for the safe passage of other vessels” for the two periods stated in Matt’s. With Daylight Savings Time, 6PM to dusk might well fall within your time frame and thus require an adjustment to your float plan. See newest condensed version below dated 3/21.

I’ve gathered the latest info regarding the Gilmerton Bridge (AICW MM 5.8) and included it all in this email.
V/R,
Matt – the bridge tender
Vertical Clearance for the new Gilmerton Bridge when closed is 35 feet above MHW.
Gilmerton Bridge monitors marine channel 13 as do all the bridges, locks and commercial traffic in this area.
Gilmerton Bridge restrictions from 33CFR117.997(c) are listed here:
(c) The draw of the Gilmerton (US13/460) bridge, mile 5.8, in Chesapeake:
(1) Shall open on signal at any time for commercial vessels carrying liquefied flammable gas or other hazardous materials.
(2) From 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays:
(i) Need not open for the passage of recreational or commercial vessels that do not qualify under paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section.
(ii) Need not open for commercial cargo vessels, including tugs, and tugs with tows, unless 2 hours advance notice has been given to the Gilmerton Bridge at (757)-485-5488.
(3) Shall open on signal at all other times.
Additional channel restriction from CG Sector Hampton Roads MSIB #14/005 are listed here:
SECTOR HAMPTON ROADS MARINE SAFETY INFORMATION BULLETIN
BULLETIN NO: 14/005 TEL: (757) 638-6637, FAX (757) 483-8641
DATE: March 13, 2014
Channel Restriction at the Gilmerton Bridge Elizabeth River Southern Branch, Chesapeake, VA
From 6:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. daily from March 24, 2014 until June 20, 2014, two barges with cranes will occupy the channel at the Gilmerton Bridge to install the bridge’s new fender system and conduct demolition
operations. `Barge A’, a 100 X 60 foot crane barge, will assist with demolition operations; `Barge B’, a 120 X 55 foot crane barge, will assist with driving the fender piles. The barges will occupy the entire channel, leaving no clearance for the safe passage of other vessels.
Vessels able to safely transit with a 69 foot available horizontal clearance shall provide 2 hours advanced notice to allow sufficient time for Barge A to move. Vessels needing the full width of the channel shall provide 24 hours advanced notice. Effective March 13 to March 23 and June 21 through August 3, 2014 from 6:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., only Barge A will occupy the channel reducing the available width of the channel to 64 feet. Vessels
needing the full width of the channel shall provide 2 hours advanced notice. Notice shall be provided by calling the bridge tender at (757)485-5488 or via VHF channel 13. Additionally, the Gilmerton Bridge continues to operate
per 33 Code of Federal Regulations 117.997(c) for mariners needing a bridge opening.
Moreover, an environmental containment cell around the pier and its fender system will be in place until the project’s conclusion on or about August 3, 2014 to facilitate additional demolition work. The containment cell is
rigidly connected to the existing bridge fender with its own fender system consisting of 8 inch x 8 inch timber bumpers with recessed connections, thereby reducing the bridge’s horizontal clearance from approximately 125 feet
to 124 feet.
-USCG-

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