The Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

carries

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...

and U.S. Route 301 across the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

at the

Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...

. The city acquired the original bridge from Richmond Bridge Corp in 1933, and it was named the James River Bridge but was later renamed for the Confederate general. However, in light of the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...

in 2020, the Richmond City Council began the process of reverting its name to the James River Bridge. It was originally constructed as a four lane toll facility and opened in 1934. In the 1980s, a replacement structure was built including a substantial realignment of the approach roadways at the south end. Work was completed in 1989. It is toll-free and includes 3 lanes in either direction. An on-ramp and an off-ramp for South 2nd Street connects to the bridge over the north shore of the James River. The Virginia War Memorial is located adjacent to its northern end. A notable feature is a pedestrian footbridge which hangs below the road deck from Tredegar Street near the site of the

Tredegar Iron Works The Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia, was the biggest ironworks in the Confederacy during the American Civil War, and a significant factor in the decision to make Richmond the Confederate capital. Tredegar supplied about half the art ...

on the north shore over to Belle Isle in the middle of the river.
Robert E Lee Memorial Bridge Richmond VA USA sign photo taken of historical marker near footbridge Rt 60

Robert E Lee Memorial Bridge Richmond VA USA sign photo taken of historical marker near footbridge Rt 60

References

Bridges completed in 1934 Bridges over the James River (Virginia) U.S. Route 1

Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...

Road bridges in Virginia Pedestrian bridges in Virginia U.S. Route 301 Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Name changes due to the George Floyd protests Former toll bridges in Virginia 1934 establishments in Virginia {{Virginia-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References