Demolition crews will begin removing the pedestrian bridge connecting Kanawha Plaza to Dominion Plaza starting at 6 p.m. tonight. That’s when Canal Street will be closed between 7th and 8th Streets, and removal of the bridge will begin between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Drivers on 8th Street will still be able to turn left onto the Manchester Bridge. Removal is expected to be completed by late Sunday. Prior to removing the bridge, preparatory work will include installing protective measures to prevent pedestrian access during demolition. Once the road is closed, crews will mobilize equipment, install shoring to support the bridge, and place protection on the road and sidewalks beneath it. The first step is for a crane to break the north end of the bridge free, where the bridge ties into Dominion Plaza. Then the rest of the bridge will be removed using a CAT excavator. All debris will be hauled away and disposed of at the Cox Recycling Center. After the bridge is down, all materials will be re...

Richmond 2015, in conjunction with officials from the City of Richmond and Henrico and Hanover counties met Wednesday, August 5, 2015 to brief the media on the comprehensive Transportation Plan and interactive navigation website for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships. They discussed race schedules, traffic management strategies, navigating around town during the event, parking, shuttles, and emergency information. Visit  http://navigate.richmond2015.com/ for more information on these topics for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships that will take place September 19 - 27, 2015.

The City’s Department of Public Works has completed work on a new roundabout at the intersection of 25th Street, Nine Mile Road and Fairmont in Churchill.  Plans for the roundabout were part of the corridor improvements presented in the East End Transformation Plan. Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille, East End 7th Voter District, will announce the opening of the roundabout at National Night Out festivities in Churchill tonight. 
 “I’m so pleased that we are seeing many of the things the community talked about during the Church Hill visioning process come into being,” said Mayor Jones. “Step by step, we are bringing about changes in housing, infrastructure, health and education and this roundabout project beautifies this anchor corridor providing a welcomed makeover that will improve traffic flow and safety.” 
 “The 25th Street and Nine Mile Road corridor is an important commercial gateway for the East End/7th District,” commented Councilwoma...

Mayor Dwight Jones, Debra Gardner, DCAO for Human Services, Barry Russell, Deputy Director for Parks and Recreation, John Snyder, Enrichmond Foundation, and Dwight Snead of Dwight Snead Construction Company joined in announcing the renovation of Kanawha Plaza on Friday, July 31, 2015. The following are Mayor Jones prepared remarks. Good afternoon and welcome. We appreciate all of you joining us for our Kanawha Plaza Renovations Kick-off today, as this is an important project for our downtown and an important project for our city. Kanawha Plaza was conceived of over 40 years ago – back in 1972. This park was designed to reconnect our central business district and the James River. It was meant to also beautify our downtown, sitting astride the Downtown Expressway which was built after land was cleared for urban renewal. Parks can be complex elements of a city, but in Richmond, we pride ourselves on our park amenities. With over 100 parks in our city, ran...

Mayor Dwight Jones and Port of Virginia CEO John Reinhart today announced that the Port of Virginia has requested to renew its lease on the Port of Richmond for a second five year term. In addition, the Port of Virginia intends to bid on a long-term lease proposal that will allow it to make greater capital investment in the Port of Richmond terminal. The Mayor will introduce the related papers on Monday, July 27 for consideration by City Council on September 8.   The announcement comes one day after Governor McAuliffe announced the Port of Virginia is forecasted to post its first yearly operating profit since 2008 and has set a new record for cargo volume. “The City’s partnership with the Port of Virginia has turned the Port of Richmond around, and it holds promise for unlocking the value of one of the greatest economic drivers for the Richmond region,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “We are excited by the possibility of a long-term partnership with The Port of Virginia, and the...

CSX, Capital Trees, and the City of Richmond have signed agreements to begin the creation of the Low Line, a 5.5 acre environmental and beautification project along Dock Street adjacent to the Virginia Capital Trail, on the historic James River and Kanawha Canal. CSX, which owns the rail trestle that runs along the planned beautification area into downtown Richmond, is donating $100,000 to support the project. “Rarely does an opportunity to do something so transformative present itself,” said Jeanette McKittrick, chairman of Capital Trees’ board of trustees. “The Low Line is the uncommon event where the necessary elements of timing, circumstance, will, and ability come together to recast a place of great historic, environmental, cultural and economic interest. It is Capital Trees’ vision to help Richmond live up to its stunningly beautiful natural gifts, to work harder to protect the James River, and to work harder, think harder, about landscapes and streetscapes. We’re very gratef...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones today issued the following statement concerning a freestanding children’s hospital, minor league baseball, and regional cooperation: “The conversation around a freestanding children’s hospital has driven a renewed commitment to regional cooperation among the City of Richmond, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County. “Advocates for the hospital asked each locality for potential locations, and we each presented options. They have indicated the Boulevard is their preferred site. “In recent days, I have met with Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas and Chesterfield County Administrator Jay Stegmaier to advance this important regional priority. This includes agreeing to a process to identify alternative locations in the region to ensure that the Richmond Flying Squirrels have a permanent home. “Today, we met with representatives of the Squirrels and the President of the Eastern League. We agreed that the Squirrels should meet with all localities in the Richmond are...