Huguenot Memorial Bridge

37.5616°N 77.5439°W / 37.5616; -77.5439

Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Coordinates	37°33′42″N 77°32′38″W
Carries	SR 147
Crosses	James River
Locale	Henrico, Virginia
Official name	Huguenot Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)	Huguenot Bridge
Maintained by	Virginia Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Total length	2900 ft (884 m)
History
Constructed by	T. A. Loving Company
Opened	1950
Statistics
Toll	none
Location

Huguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now the James River Line of CSX Transportation), the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the James River in the Fall Line region above the head of navigation at Richmond.

The Huguenot Memorial Bridge, which connects Southside (Richmond, Virginia) to urban Richmond, was completed in 1950. The 2900 ft (884 m) span replaced the low-level Westham Bridge which had been built as a toll bridge in 1911. The old bridge was subject to flooding and was inadequate for traffic in the growing suburban area.

The Huguenot Memorial Bridge was named in honor of the French Huguenot settlers who came to the area in the 18th century to escape religious persecution in France. It is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and is the westernmost bridge over the James River in the metropolitan Richmond area that is open to pedestrians.

The 1950 original bridge was facing significant structural issues. After years of problems maintaining the deck and pavement, as of 2008, a replacement was included in the limited number of high priority projects underway with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Construction began in 2010 and completed in 2013.[1]