Jordan Bridge remains closed following fire at Portsmouth facility; waste being diverted
A fire at a waste-to-energy facility in Portsmouth on Friday continues to cause disruptions to the region, forcing the indefinite closure of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge and changes Hampton Roads’ waste management logistics.
The Southeastern Public Service Authority has diverted about 1,000 tons of Hampton Roads post-recycled waste from the WIN Waste facility in Portsmouth to area landfills since Friday, according to Tressa Preston, a spokesperson for the authority.
Trash service for residents will not be affected by the fire, Preston said.
The WIN Waste facility, which was previously known as the Wheelabrator Portsmouth facility, is located just beyond the western end of the Jordan Bridge near the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The Jordan Bridge was not damaged by the fire but was closed to most traffic due to concern about the structural integrity of the conveyor that passes over the road.
As of Monday, pedestrian and limited vehicular traffic could go westbound over the bridge into Portsmouth from Chesapeake. Access was available to Norfolk Naval Shipyard parking lots as well as local businesses adjacent to the bridge. But no traffic could cross eastbound as Elm Avenue, which leads to the bridge, was closed. The closure affects access to Victory Boulevard, Gate 36, Effingham Street and downtown Portsmouth, according to a news release from bridge authorities.
“We are anxiously awaiting the determination of the structural condition of the conveyor,” read a statement from Laura Weber, a spokesperson for the Jordan Bridge.
Officials reached on Monday had no clear timeline for when the bridge could fully reopen to traffic, nor when the waste facility would resume normal operations.
“Getting the conveyor repaired so that the local agencies can reopen the road is the company’s number one priority, and we are utilizing our leadership teams from across our footprint to ensure safe and reliable service and regular use of the road once again,” said Mary Urban, a spokesperson for WIN.
No one was injured in the fire. The cause was unknown as of Monday and the investigation is ongoing, Urban said.
WIN Waste staff detected smoke or steam in the conveyor enclosure that passes over part of Elm Avenue, Urban said.
WIN burns around 2,370 tons of post-recycled waste from Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Franklin, Suffolk, Southampton County and Isle of Wight County. About 85% of the region’s trash is burned at that facility.
The U.S. Navy buys steam from the facility to provide a power source for the shipyard. The WIN facility is still providing steam to the Navy but is diverting all new waste to other locations. Preston said the Southeastern Public Service Authority is diverting waste to its Regional Landfill in Suffolk as well as to Atlantic Waste Disposal landfills in Hampton and Waverly in Sussex County, with which it has existing contracts.
The Regional Landfill will be open for longer hours and waste management vehicles will have to take different routes, according to Preston.
“It is a major change and a major concern for us that we’re having to divert waste from that facility,” she said.
Southeastern Public Service Authority spent the weekend working on contingency plans going forward and avoided any lapse in service or backlog of waste, according to Preston.
“From our perspective, we can never have a time where our service is limited so we always plan to have an alternative,” Preston said. “Trash never stops, so we’ve always got to be ready to take that waste somewhere.”
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
