John B. Whealton Memorial Causeway
Encyclopedia
The John B. Whealton Memorial Causeway, more commonly known to the locals as the Chincoteague Causeway, connects the mainland of the Eastern Shore
to Chincoteague, where it continues into town as Maddox Boulevard. The causeway is part of Virginia State Route 175
(Chincoteague Road). The causeway contains five bridges and crosses the following (west to east):
The original causeway contained six bridges. The route crossed the Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel via separate bridges which took the causeway across Marsh Island, landing in town between Mumford and Cleveland Streets. The former a fixed bridge, the latter a swing bridge
, they were both removed in late 2010 after the construction of the new bridge. A short spur bridge, the Marsh Island Connector, connects the community on Marsh Island to the new bridge, which is met at a T-intersection over the water.
An opening ceremony was attended by 4000 people and featured an address by Virginia Governor Harry F. Byrd
. Rain started to fall during the ceremony, and when the attendees started to leave the causeway became impassable, with 96 cars stuck. Boats were called to rescue the stranded, and barges ended up taking the cars to the mainland. Whealton undertook repairs, increasing the portion of shell in the dredged sand-and-oyster-shell surface and completing repairs by Christmas of 1922.
Tolls were suspended on the causeway in 1930. The causeway's bridges were rebuilt in the late 1930s, with the Black Narrows fixed bridge and the Chincoteague Channel swing bridge
dating to 1939 and 1940, respectively.
A new bridge was built by the Virginia Department of Transportation
to replace the deteriorated Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel bridges, completed in late 2010. The new bridge veers to the north just to the west of Black Narrows, suspended completely over open water and curving eastward just to the north of Marsh Island. The bridge crosses Lewis Creek Channel, north of Chincoteague Channel, via drawbridge and descends to meet grade at the intersection of Maddox Boulevard and Main Street, about 1/2 mile to the north of the old Chincoteague Channel Swing Bridge landing. Just to the north of Black Narrows is a T-intersection for a spur bridge to the small community on Marsh Island, as the Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel bridges that cross the island were removed shortly after the opening of the new bridge.
Eastern Shore of Virginia
The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties on the Atlantic coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Its population was 45,553 as of 2010...
to Chincoteague, where it continues into town as Maddox Boulevard. The causeway is part of Virginia State Route 175
Virginia State Route 175
Virginia State Route 175 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Chincoteague Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 13 at Nash Corner east to Main Street in Chincoteague...
(Chincoteague Road). The causeway contains five bridges and crosses the following (west to east):
- Mosquito CreekMosquito Creek (Virginia)Mosquito Creek is a stream in Chincoteague, Virginia that connects with Cockle Creek to the south and a mouth at Chincoteague Bay to the North.-History:...
via the Mosquito Creek Fixed Bridge - Cockle Creek via the Cockle Creek Fixed Bridge
- Queen Sound via the Queen Sound Fixed Bridge
- Wire Narrows via the Wire Narrows Fixed Bridge
- Black Narrows and Lewis Creek Channel via the Chincoteague Channel DrawbridgeBascule bridgeA bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
and Marsh Island Connector
The original causeway contained six bridges. The route crossed the Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel via separate bridges which took the causeway across Marsh Island, landing in town between Mumford and Cleveland Streets. The former a fixed bridge, the latter a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
, they were both removed in late 2010 after the construction of the new bridge. A short spur bridge, the Marsh Island Connector, connects the community on Marsh Island to the new bridge, which is met at a T-intersection over the water.
History
The original plan for a causeway to link Chincoteague to the mainland was proposed by John B. Whealton, who formed the Chincoteague Toll Road and Bridge Company in 1919. The route originally proposed ran from Wallops Neck to the south end of Chincoteague, but was changed to bring the bridge to the center of town. An application for permission to the Virginia General Assembly was approved on September 14, 1919. Bids for the project were opened as soon as the news was telegraphed to Chincoteague. Whealton's bid for $144,000 was the lowest. The project was completed on November 15, 1922.An opening ceremony was attended by 4000 people and featured an address by Virginia Governor Harry F. Byrd
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
. Rain started to fall during the ceremony, and when the attendees started to leave the causeway became impassable, with 96 cars stuck. Boats were called to rescue the stranded, and barges ended up taking the cars to the mainland. Whealton undertook repairs, increasing the portion of shell in the dredged sand-and-oyster-shell surface and completing repairs by Christmas of 1922.
Tolls were suspended on the causeway in 1930. The causeway's bridges were rebuilt in the late 1930s, with the Black Narrows fixed bridge and the Chincoteague Channel swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
dating to 1939 and 1940, respectively.
A new bridge was built by the Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
to replace the deteriorated Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel bridges, completed in late 2010. The new bridge veers to the north just to the west of Black Narrows, suspended completely over open water and curving eastward just to the north of Marsh Island. The bridge crosses Lewis Creek Channel, north of Chincoteague Channel, via drawbridge and descends to meet grade at the intersection of Maddox Boulevard and Main Street, about 1/2 mile to the north of the old Chincoteague Channel Swing Bridge landing. Just to the north of Black Narrows is a T-intersection for a spur bridge to the small community on Marsh Island, as the Black Narrows and Chincoteague Channel bridges that cross the island were removed shortly after the opening of the new bridge.