12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 13 Number 10 Centerville Turnpike Bridge Detour Route


The detour route on the south side of the Centerville Turnpike bridge Mt. Pleasant Rd. to the Rt. 168 Great Bridge Bypass to Kempsville Rd. and Battlefield Blvd. The detour route on the north side of the bridge utilizes Butts Station Rd. to Kempsville Rd. Click the map below for a larger resolution version.


Local Traffic Only on Centerville Turnpike


Centerville Turnpike will remain open to local traffic, allowing traffic to enter and exit the neighborhoods and businesses nearest the bridge. As the bridge will be out, the roadway at the bridge will be closed to through traffic starting on Aug. 24, 2019, and lasting for six months. For those that would need to cross the bridge, detours will be in place throughout the closure.


Weekend Closures Ahead of Full Closure


To allow the contractor to prepare for the full rehabilitation project, the Centerville Turnpike Bridge will undergo select weekend closures beginning in June leading up to the full closure on Aug. 24. These closures would start Friday evening at 8 p.m., and run through Monday morning at 5 a.m. Once scheduled, closures will be posted here, on Twitter at www.twitter. com/ChesapeakeRoads, and pushed via text message and email through Chesapeake Alert notifications.


Upcoming Short-Term Closures JULY 13-14, 2019: All-day weekend closure (weather permitting.) Reason for Bridge Closure


The bridge structure must be removed from the roadway to allow workers to access and repair the mechanism that allows the bridge to open and allow marine traffic (boats) to pass through, as well as other important repairs including lead paint removal, bridge deck replacement and other infrastructure improvements. At the same time, Federal regulations dictate that the waterway must remain open to marine traffic; therefore, removal of the bridge allows the most expedient repair of the infrastructure while allowing boats to pass through the canal.


Why the Project is Necessary


Centerville Turnpike is a major thoroughfare than connects Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, and carries a significant volume of traffic – about 16,000 vehicles each day. Additionally, the bridge crosses the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the primary marine traffic lane that carries boaters up and down the inland waters of east coast. Without these repairs, the bridge may not be able to open and close reliably, which could lead to numerous unplanned closures of the bridge and safety issues for motorists and boaters alike. This project will improve the infrastructure, resulting in a safer, more reliable bridge for years to come.


Hampton K-12 Summer Institute Reveals 1619 African Arrival Facts to Hampton


Around Hampton Roads


Closure CHESAPEAKE - The complete rehabilitation of the Centerville Turnpike Bridge began in May 2019, and should last approximately 16 months. The biggest traffic impact will occur beginning Aug. 24, 2019, when the bridge is closed completely for approximately six months.


July 2019


Tucker, commander of the fort at Point Comfort. The other arriving Africans were interspersed within the Virginia colony, from Elizabeth City County to Jamestown. Between 1623 and 1624, the union of Isabell and


Antoney resulted in the birth and baptism of William Tucker, named for the person whose property they served. William Tucker is the first documented child of African descent born in English North America.


Retired Ft. Eustis Garrison Commander Named Assistant


City Manager NEWPORT NEWS, VA - City Manager Cindy Rohlf has hired retired Ft. Eustis Garrison Commander Ralph L. “Bo” Clayton as an Assistant City Manager. Clayton begins July 1, 2019, in his new position and will be responsible for operational departments such as Public Works, Engineering, Parks, Recreation & Tourism and Vehicle & Equipment Services.


“Bo has extensive and diverse experience in leadership and management along with a thorough understanding of government operations,” said City Manager Rohlf. “He is a strategic thinker and planner with a passion for public service. I am pleased that he is joining my executive leadership team, and I look forward to his contributions to the many exciting things going on in Newport News.”


“I would like to thank the City Manager for this tremendous opportunity,” Clayton said. “My family and I are very excited and truly humbled to join such a great team as the Newport News City government. I look forward to meeting everyone and doing my part in working towards providing excellent city services to our entire community.”


Clayton retired from the United States Army in 2019 as a Colonel after a 30- year military career. His last assignment was at Joint Base Langley-Eustis as Garrison Commander of Fort Eustis, essentially serving as city manager of the military installation for two years. Clayton’s career also included several deployments to the Middle East, commanding teams across Africa and South America, and extensive experience in strategic communications and special operations.


Clayton possesses a bachelor’s degree in biology from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Central Michigan University and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association and the Virginia Local Government Management Association.


Norfolk Public Library Serves FREE Summer Meals for


Children NORFOLK, VA ─ For the fourth year in a row, the Norfolk Public Library (NPL) is partnering with Norfolk Public Schools' (NPS) Department of School Nutrition to serve free meals for children. During the summer, eight neighborhood branches are serving lunch, and the downtown Slover Library is offering breakfast and lunch. The Summer Meals Program is open to all children 18 and younger, and no enrollment is necessary ─ just show up to a feeding site during serving times to participate.Nutritious meals are provided by NPS’ Department of Nutrition, and last summer, the Library served a total of 556 breakfasts and 5,710 lunches to children.


Educators HAMPTON, VA—Forty Hampton City Schools’ educators will spend mornings July 15-18 learning the details of the first Africans brought to English North America and their 1619 arrival at Point Comfort in Hampton, site of Fort Monroe. Daily presentations by subject matter experts will attempt to clarify the details so that educators of youth in Hampton, the region and the nation learn the facts of this pivotal occurrence in American history and can more effectively share their knowledge with the youth they teach


As witnessed and recorded by John Rolfe, the first tobacco planter in the Virginia colony, on August 25, 1619, the White Lion entered the Chesapeake Bay, docked at Point Comfort with Africans of the Bantu culture from Angola. They spoke the languages of the Kimbundu and Kikongo. Many were literate and hailed from highly organized societies. Two of those Africans named Antoney and Isabell, served the homestead of Captain William


“Norfolk Public Library believes in taking care of our children to help them become lifelong learners,” says Norfolk’s Director of Public Libraries Sonal Rastogi. “We believe that healthy children equal lifelong learning, and to achieve this goal, we have partnered with NPS to ensure that children are getting the nutrition they need during the summer months.”


You can text ‘FOOD’ to 877-877 to find free summer meals near you. Portsmouth Implements 311


Call Center PORTSMOUTH, VA – The city of Portsmouth rolls out its 311 NonEmergency Call Center effective today, July 1. Three-one-one (311) is a non-emergency phone number that residents can use to obtain information about city services, make complaints or convey citizen concerns. Citizen services


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