Jamestown - Scotland Ferry

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which carries VA 31 traffic across the James River, is Virginia's largest inland ferry operation. Running seven days a week, 24 hours a day, the four ferry boats (The Virginia, Surry, Pocahontas and Williamsburg - shown at left) that cross the James River run throughout the year. Service began over 80 years ago on February 26, 1925 when the Captain John Smith made the initial crossing. (1)

Not long after the initial voyage of the Captain John Smith, the first suggestion of building a bridge to replace the ferry was made in 1928. Since then, there have been numerous discussions and proposals to build a bridge over the river, but none have gathered any steam. The Virginia Department of Transportation took over the ferry operation in 1945 and continue to oversee ferry operations to this day.

Directions & Notes:

From Jamestown: Follow VA 31 South to ferry terminal at Glass House Point
From Surry County: Follow VA 31 North through Scotland to ferry terminal
Since 2004 all vehicles are subject to a random security search before boarding the ferry.

All photos taken August 26, 2006.

Gulls and other birds sit on top piers at the Scotland landing.

Exiting the Scotland landing heading north towards Jamestown.

Looking downriver on the James towards the east.

The Surry heads from Glass House Point towards Scotland.

The Jamestown Tricentennial Monument (obelisk in right-center of photo) can be seen while crossing the James.

Large freighters, like the one pictured, are able to navigate the wide James River.

The Pocahontas exits the Glass House Point terminal on the north shore of the James.

A closer view of the Pocahontas.

Looking downriver on the James again, this time with an ocean freighter, jet skiers, and recreational boaters in view.

The Williamsburg heads for the Glass House Point terminal.

Sources & Links:

(1) Virginia Department of Transportation. "Jamestown-Scotland Ferry History." (November 24, 2006)

Jamestown-ScotlandFerry ---Virginia Department of Transportation

Ferries in Virginia ---Virginiaplaces.org

VA 31 @ Virginia Highways Project ---Mike Roberson/Adam Froehlig

Comments

Morgan Territory Road

Morgan Territory Road is an approximately 14.7-mile-long roadway mostly located in the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County, California. The roadway is named after settler Jerimah Morgan who established a ranch in the Diablo Range in 1857. Morgan Territory Road was one of several facilities constructed during the Gold Rush era to serve the ranch holdings. The East Bay Regional Park District would acquire 930 acres of Morgan Territory in 1975 in an effort to establish a preserve east of Mount Diablo. The preserve has since been expanded to 5,324 acres. The preserve functionally stunts the development along roadway allowing it to remain surprisingly primitive in a major urban area. Part 1; the history of Morgan Territory Road During the period of early period of American Statehood much of the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County was sparsely developed. Jerimah Morgan acquired 2,000 acres of land east of Mount Diablo in 1856 and established a ranch in 1857. Morgan Territory Road is

The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge (Madera County)

The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge is an early era arch concrete structure found alongside modern Madera County Road 200. The structure was modeled as a smaller scale of the 1905 Pollasky Bridge (still in ruins at the San Joaquin River) and was one of many early twentieth century improvements to what was then known as the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road. The 1915-era bridge was replaced with a modernized concrete span during 1947 but was never demolished. The original concrete structure can be still found sitting in the brush north of the 2023 Fine Gold Creek Bridge. Part 1; the history of the 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge lies near the site of the former mining community of Fine Gold. Mining claims were staked at Fine Gold during the Mariposa War during 1850. The community was never very large but became a stopping point on the stage road between the original Fresno County seat at Millerton and Fresno Flats (now Oakhurst). The stage road eventually bypas

San Francisco's Broadway Tunnel

The Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco is a structure at Russian Hill which connects the neighborhood Chinatown to North Beach. The tunnel was included in the 1948 San Francisco Trafficways Plan as a connector between the Central Freeway and Embarcadero Freeway. The structure was completed in December 1952 and spans 1,616 feet through Russian Hill. The Broadway Tunnel was designated as the Robert C. Levy Tunnel in 1986. Part 1; the history of the Broadway Tunnel Following the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 San Francisco would see a major population boom. The city would expand from the shores of San Francisco Bay inland towards the many steep hills. The hills of San Francisco would prove to be a major hinderance towards the expansion of city. Roads were generally plotted over the tops of hillsides and had steep grades. Russian Hill in particular was one of the steepest and contained numerous streets with grades in excess of twenty percent. Broadway can be seen cros

Gribblenation

Search This Blog