James River Bridge News

Good Samaritans rescued four people from the water Saturday morning, after a collision between a recreational boat, with six people aboard, and an oyster barge being pushed by a tug which was headed for an oyster bed near the James River Bridge. The two people went missing after a collision took place between a recreational boat, with six people aboard. First responders from multiple agencies are working together by boat and air to search for the two other people that were aboard the 19-foot center console boat when the incident occurred. The waterway is closed between the James River Bridge and the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel for safety of life.

The Resolute is scheduled to depart the James River Reserve Fleet Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in transit to Esco Marine, Inc., in Brownsville, Texas for recycling. Resolute, a partial container/ break-bulk ship built in 1980, brought a purchase price of $90,726. The vessel is expected to pass under the James River Bridge approximately two hours after the departure. However, be advised that tow times and passage times vary widely depending on weather and other conditions. The approximate travel time to Texas is 14 days. The Maritime Administration stores ships at three National Defense Reserve Fleet sites: the James River in Virginia, Beaumont in Texas, and the Suisun Bay in California.

The Bayamon is scheduled to be towed from the James River Reserve Fleet on Wednesday, February 20, at approximately 8:30 a.m. It will be the 66th ship to depart the James River site since January of 2001. The Bayamon, a trailership built in 1970 by the Sun Shipbuilding Corporation of Chester, Pennsylvania, will be dismantled at the All Star Metals, LLC facility in Brownsville, Texas. All Star Metals purchased the vessel for $12,221. It is expected to pass under the James River Bridge approximately two hours after the departure. However, be advised that such times vary widely depending on weather and other conditions.

The State is scheduled to be towed from the James River Reserve Fleet on, July 18. It will be the 59th ship to leave the James River site since January 1, 2001. The State was formerly a training ship for the State University of New York Maritime College, and was known then as the Empire State V. Before that, it was a troop carrier, the USNS Barrett. It will be recycled at the Bay Bridge Enterprises facility in Chesapeake, Va. The State is expected to pass under the James River Bridge approximately two hours after the departure. However, be advised that such times vary widely depending on weather and other conditions.

The Vulcan is scheduled to be towed from the James River Reserve Fleet on Tuesday, December 19th. It will be the 54th ship to leave the James River site for recycling since January 1, 2001. The Vulcan, a former Navy repair ship built in 1941, which will leave the James River site to be dismantled at Bay Bridge Enterprises, LLC, of Chesapeake, Va., under the terms of a contract worth $494,000. The Vulcan has a small niche in Naval history. Until 1978, the only Navy ships to carry women on duty were hospital ships. That year, the Vulcan became the first non-hospital Navy ship to carry women on active duty. The Vulcan is expected to pass under the James River Bridge approximately two hours after the departure.

The Orion, an obsolete Navy repair vessel built in 1943, is scheduled to depart on July 27 from the James River Reserve Fleet off Newport News. The Daily Press reported that the U.S. Maritime Administration expects to tow away the vessel at 9:30 a.m. It should pass under the James River Bridge about two hours later, depending on weather conditions. The Orion will be dismantled by North American Ship Recycling in Baltimore. It is the 53rd ship to leave the ghost fleet since 2001. (Source: Daily Press)