Virginia’s Chatham Bridge project finalist for national award

A Virginia Department of Transportation project has been named a top-12 national finalist in the America’s Transportation Awards competition sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). VDOT’s Chatham Bridge Rehabilitation and Shared Use Path Project, received top honors in the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) regional competition in the Quality of Life/Community Development category.

The Chatham Bridge connects Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg over the scenic Rappahannock River along Virginia Route 3 Business in northeastern Virginia. A key city along the East Coast Greenway route between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Fredericksburg is a historic city that was a highly used Colonial-era port, as well as the site of a number of Civil War battles. The location of the Chatham Bridge has had a structure on it for more than 200 years, with the most recent Chatham Bridge built in the 1940s.

The bridge was recently rehabilitated by the Virginia Department of Transportation with an all important addition of a 10-foot wide shared use path on the south side of the structure for people biking, walking, running and rolling. 

This multi-use path will improve safety and accessibility across the river for local and visitors alike, connecting to the Belmont Ferry Farm Trail and Pratt Park to bustling downtown Fredericksburg and that city's extensive trail network. The new Chatham Bridge shared-use path has been open for less than a year but is already seeing a lot of use and is currently being incorporated into the East Coast Greenway route map.

Now advancing as a top-12 finalist from 80 nominees from 37 states, the Chatham Bridge Rehabilitation and Shared Use Path Project will be considered for the top national awards: a grand prize, determined by an independent panel of transportation industry experts; and the People’s Choice Award, selected through online voting. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open through Friday, Oct. 21 at www.AmericasTransportationAwards.org. Winners will be announced at AASHTO’s annual meeting in October.