- Edward E. Willey Bridge
Edward E. Willey Bridge is a highway
bridge which crosses the upper James River (above the fall line at Richmond) in the western portion ofHenrico County, Virginia . It carriesChippenham Parkway (State Route 150) between Parham Road in Henrico and the southwestern portion of theindependent city of Richmond. It was named in honor ofEdward E. Willey who was a State Senator in theVirginia General Assembly from 1952 to 1983.Since the 18th century, bridges (and earlier ferry service) across the James River have been a major issue for residents of the City of Richmond, the former City of Manchester (merged into Richmond in 1910), and the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield on the north and south sides respectively.
The Willey Bridge and an adjacent portion of Chippenham Parkway were constructed with funds generated by a special continuation of tolls granted by the U.S. Congress for a period of time on a portion of the former
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (I-95) in the 1980s. This funding enabled the Willey Bridge (as it is known locally) to be opened as a toll free facility.The James River is relatively shallow where the Willey Bridge crosses well above the falls of the river at Richmond. In contrast, at the south end of the Chippenham Parkway, a very costly high-level bridge was required on the
Pocahontas Parkway to cross over the navigable tidal portion of the same river downstream of the deepwater Port of Richmond.Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = James River
bridge = Edward E. Willey Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream =World War II Veterans Memorial Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream =Huguenot Memorial Bridge
downstream signs =
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