I-Like-To-Bike

I took a similar approach when riding across the Mississippi River on the Government Bridge between Davenport IA-Rock Island IL. The narrowness and metal grate surface of the sidewalk and frequency of bicycle traffic necessitated caution when riding across. The 600 meter sidewalk path is also posted with signs for bicyclists to walk across (as well as a non-enforced helmet requirement). I never saw anyone walk their bicycle across, though dismounting was sometimes required when the swing bridge portion was opened to let barge traffic through.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Bridge
https://structurae.net/structures/ro...ernment-bridge

Leebo

^^^ Stairs? Yup, stair gaps at speed, wheeee.

I-Like-To-Bike

No stairs on this bridge, no grade change either. The choices in crossing the Mississippi by bike in this area are either the no-incline Arsenal Bridge ( with the risk of a 10-15 minute delay for bridge opening when there is barge traffic passing underneath) or the Centennial Bridge about a mile south that is suspended high over the Mississippi with an equally narrow sidewalk for bicycles and pedestrians and has an incline to ride up, but no delays for barge traffic.

rachel120

You left a little too much information in your post and I know the exact bridge you are talking about. It's not half a mile, it's 200-250 feet. The bridge is very narrow and the traffic is always going a lot faster than it should. While a bicycle could make it across as part of road traffic, a cyclist that's inexperienced or slow like me would have nowhere to ditch if things went horribly wrong with traffic, which happens far too often on that road. And if you do get hit from a car going far too fast and it actually knocks you over the side, that's a really long way to drop and you better hope the coal train isn't going by.

I hope the link works. Otherwise put "519 Va-312 Newport News VA" in Google Maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.0707...=en&authuser=0

kevindsingleton 

The link works, for me.

frogger42

I've seen signs like that on two different areas I've ridden. Once was clearly a safety issue and was there for a good reason. It was a bridge over the interstate and up on a bike, the low guard rail would not prevent you from going over if you lost control. I just chose to not ride that route anymore rather than deal with it. The other is on a greenway for a short section where they ask you to dismount. There is no logical reason for it and I just ignore it. There are a LOT of cyclists that ride that trail and I've never seen anyone dismount and walk that section.

SylvainG

That would make too much sense...