An upriver crossing of the York River is a dream that began in the 1980s, but was laid to rest with widening of the Coleman Bridge in 1996. It took about 30 years of talk, in fact, to get the Coleman Bridge, which opened in 1952. The first "assured" bridge crossing was proposed in the 1920s.

The upriver crossing idea has been resurrected and a feasibility study through a private-public partnership has received Gloucester County permission to proceed.

Perhaps in a few decades the time will be right for a river crossing that spans from upper Gloucester to near Williamsburg. Or perhaps not. People are free to dream.

They have dreamed and thought about transportation improvements, in fact, for centuries. The past 100 years have brought out many ideas; had come about, we would be living in counties with a very different aspect. Here are a few of those dreams that evaporated with the morning mist:

A bridge over the River East?

1906: A few residents proposed a bridge over the East...