A Gloucester resident is seeking to revisit the idea of an alternative crossing of the York River in hopes of bringing sustainable economic development to the county as well as easier access for residents to the Peninsula and Interstate 64.

Charles Records, with a background in engineering and development, pitched the idea last Wednesday night to members of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors in hopes the governing body would approve his moving forward with a feasibility study. Though they made no promises in terms of a formal go-ahead last Wednesday night, county board members did give Records a warm reception, especially after he said he would foot the bill for the research end of the project.

Those who have lived in Gloucester for several decades may remember the upriver crossing studies that were done beginning in the late 1980s. The studies, Records said, analyzed 17 different alternatives to the Coleman Bridge. One of these alternatives went so far as to call for a tunnel under the York River linking Fort Eustis Boulevard to Guinea.

Records began his presentation by providing a bit of history on the Coleman Bridge and the ferry service that connected Gloucester Point to Yorktown prior to construction of the original bridge.

To view this article in its entirety, subscribe here. Already an online subscriber? Login Here