Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

FRANKLIN

South Quay Road will be closed in both directions between Route 58 and Pretlow Road starting as early as March 1 for a bridge replacement.

According to Nina Ulrich, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, the existing South Quay Road bridge over the Blackwater River, which connects Southampton County with Suffolk, will be replaced with a fixed span structure that will have a 35-foot vertical clearance. The new roadway will consist of two 11-foot lanes and six-foot shoulders. Due to the higher elevation of the new bridge, VDOT is also planning to redo 1,006 feet of the approaching roadway.

Detour signs will be in place as follows:

Traveling Route 189 (South Quay Road) north, west of Blackwater River:

• Follow Route 189 north to Route 714 (Pretlow Road).
• Turn left onto Route 714 (Pretlow Road).
• Turn left onto Route 58 (Southampton Parkway) east.
• Follow to Route 189 (South Quay Road).

Traveling Route 189 (South Quay Road) south, east of Blackwater River:

• Follow Route 189 (South Quay Road) south to Route 58 (Southampton Parkway) west.
• Follow to Route 714 (Pretlow Road) south to Route 189 (South Quay Road).

From Route 58 (Southampton Parkway) west:

• Take the Route 714 (Pretlow Road) exit and follow south to Route 189 (South Quay Road).

Byant Structures, Inc. was awarded the $11.3 million construction contract for the project. The bridge replacement project is estimated to be complete in summer 2023. All construction work is dependent upon weather conditions.

To learn more about this project, visit https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/hamptonroads/south_quay_bridge.asp.