Varina-Enon Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Richmond, Virginia, United States
The Varina-Enon Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge carrying six lanes of traffic across the James River with two tall central towers. The main span connects the structure using thick steel cables that angle from the towers down to the roadway.
The bridge opened in 1990 and was named after two locations: Varina, a former county seat in Henrico County, and Enon, a small community across the river in Chesterfield County. It was built to improve traffic flow along the Interstate 295 corridor.
The bridge features nesting boxes designed to support peregrine falcon populations and their recovery across the region. This shows how modern infrastructure can be designed to coexist with wildlife conservation.
The bridge rises high enough above the water to allow ships to pass through to the Port of Richmond without obstruction. Pedestrians and cyclists should avoid this highway route as it is designed exclusively for motor vehicles.
A tornado struck the bridge directly in 1993, yet the structure remained unharmed despite the extreme conditions. Trucks on the roadway were overturned by the violent winds, even though the bridge itself survived intact.
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