CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Frustrations are growing among commuters in Chesapeake as work continues to turn a 90-year-old bridge into a modern drawbridge.
It all stems from the Deep Creek Bridge Replacement Project along Moses Grandy Trail, not far from the Mill Creek Road intersection.
"It's a hot mess," said Bridgett Lake, whose family lives in the nearby Culpepper Landing neighborhood. "You can't go anywhere. It's so frustrating."
Thursday night's bumper-to-bumper traffic was filled with lots of honking. Lake said this traffic means she's had to rearrange her entire schedule.
"I have to make sure all my clients—if I have to go show houses or anything like that—I have to push them back so I can allow time to if my kids can't get on the bus," Lake said.
The bridge, however, is quite outdated, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is behind the project that started in May. The current, two-lane, 20-foot wide bridge has been there since 1934.
WATCH: Construction on Deep Creek Bridge Replacement project in Chesapeake set to begin
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it's 'functionally obsolete,' and they've been trying to replace it since 1977.
The goal is to build a 50-foot wide, five-lane drawbridge with improvements to nearby roads.
Bridgett Lake believes the city should have been better prepared for traffic congestion. She said the construction can't come to an end soon enough.
"My daughter had to wait at the bus stop for an hour on Tuesday. And they didn't get to school until 45 minutes after school started so she missed breakfast, she missed everything," Lake said.
She'd like to see the traffic light timed differently, and she also believes removing the toll at Veterans Bridge would help alleviate the congestion.
Above all, she said patience will be key.
"We all have to remember we're all just trying to get home. We're all just trying to get where we need to go to work, school, whatever," She said. "So let's all take a deep breath. Let's get through it together because otherwise, it's just gonna be a hot mess."
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plans, the project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2026.
