Client: The Cameron Foundation

Overview

A new community gateway was designed and constructed for the City of Petersburg, Virginia. Petersburg is home to extensive wrought iron architectural work going back to the seventeenth century. The design presents a modern interpretation of an historic wrought iron fence pattern. Dramatic night lighting and a framing landscape complete the transformative composition. Over 80,000 motorists pass under the bridge each day. The project's aim is to attract visitors and redevelopment to the city as well as to provide a new sense of community pride.

Goals

The arches, lighting, and landscape were designed by Chroma Design, a landscape architecture firm based in Boulder, CO. We specialize in community image and character site design projects and often work with steel, glass, concrete, stone, and lighting to create iconic elements that are integrated into the site design for new public places.

Process

The design process was managed by Chroma Design. It included a steering committee with members from The City of Petersburg, The Cameron Foundation, and the Virginia Dept. of Transportation. The process took several years to complete. Meetings were held on a bimonthly basis and public approvals were managed by the city. Funding was provided by The Cameron Foundation, City of Petersburg, and the Commonwealth of VA.

Additional Information

The project is located on the Washington Street Bridge over Interstate 95. The bridge spans 300 feet. The arches are 14' tall and wide. They are fabricated from 8"x8"x3/16" high strength steel tubes. The bridge was refurbished by removing unnecessary signs, cleaning and staining the concrete parapet and wing walls, and refinishing the steel girders. The landscape is designed to frame the bridge. Lighting is provided by four white 4000 K LED floodlights at the base of each arch.