Connecting Trans Am (Yorktown) to Delmarva

[kohidave]

Howdy friends!

I’m trying to find a way to connect the eastern end of the Trans Am with the Delmarva (Map 2) - to head north up the Delmarva peninsula.

There doesn’t look to be any _great_ way - so I’m not opposed to taking transit (I know you can’t cross the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel on a bike anyway).

Anyway, appreciate your help - and super sorry if this has been asked before!

[jamawani]

Boy, it is tough.
You have to get across the James River from Hampton to Norfolk - -
Then get across the Chesapeake Bay from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore.

One option -
From Doswell (north of Rickmond) head thru Tappahannock to Reedville -
where there is a passenger ferry to Tangier Island. (takes bikes)
From Tangier you can continue on either to Onancock or Crisfield.
Either way, you can easily connect up with the Delmarva route.

https://tangiercruise.com/

Heading due north from Yorktown to Reedville over all those bridges is scary and dangerous.
I did it many years ago and questioned my sanity. Narrow, heavy traffic, no shoulders.
The York River bridge has been replaced and is great for riding - - but - -
thr Rappahannock River bridge is 2 miles long and terrifying.
Plankatank bridge - narrow, older; Wicomico bridge - newer with shoulders.
Also, Hwy 3 and Hwy 200 don't have much in the way of shoulders.

The ferry from Reedville to Smith Island no longer operates.

YMMV - Jama

Google pic of Rappanammock Bridge -

[John Nettles]

Welcome to the ACA Forums! 

As mentioned, your desired route is difficult, especially if you want it to be mostly direct.  Other than John's route above, the best I can suggest is one of two routes. 

First, take the "proven" way by breaking off the TA at the junction of VA-614 & VA-31(or sooner) and head south on ACA's Atlantic Coast, Section 4 then heading east using the same map's Outer Banks Alternate at Sunbury to Currituck where you would start northbound on DelMarVa, Section 2.  Definitely adds some miles.  See the ACA Network map and zoom into the Yorktown area to see what I mean. 
https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/interactive-network-map/

The second is to make your way from Yorktown to Hampton using backroads east of US-17 then grab an Uber (tip generously) or rent a U-Haul or rental car (or maybe a local WarmShowers host?) to cross the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel then ride to Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and grab the shuttle across as you connect to DelMarVa, Section 2 northbound. Shorter but more of a logistical hassle and potentially costlier.

Whatever you do, please come back and let us know how you did it and how it went. 

Tailwinds, John
P.S. Verify the ferry runs on the dates you are looking at as it is seasonal.  Also, verify it still runs between Tangiers and Delaware as I thought it shut down that portion, though could be wrong about that.

[tjdale]

This is an older post but here is my plan for a route York Town to Virginia Beach and the Bay Bridge Tunnel/Delmarvahttps://ridewithgps.com/routes/47877522?privacy_code=0Sj3a5tECL5CKRbQC8KdGCfFirlfYcF2