The flow of traffic on the Cypress Creek Bridge will reverse direction for 90 minutes following the conclusion of the Smithfield Christmas Parade.

Town Manager Michael Stallings, who announced the change at the Town Council’s Dec. 3 meeting, said it resulted from an earlier meeting that day between town officials and the Virginia Department of Transportation. Smithfield Police Chief Alonzo Howell had previously told council members in November that the reversal wouldn’t be feasible.

Since January, the circa-1975 bridge that connects downtown Smithfield with the east end of town has been restricted to a single westbound lane, with eastbound traffic diverted to the Route 10 Bypass via Main and Grace streets. On Dec. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the bridge will switch to one-way traffic eastbound to allow parade participants and spectators two options for leaving downtown.

Reversing traffic on the bridge during the town’s Mistletoe Market on Nov. 23 was not an option, Stallings said, because the market lasted five hours with not everyone coming and going at the same time.

“We have a definitive endpoint for the parade,” Stallings said. “This will help us flush traffic out.”

Several speakers during the portion of the Dec. 3 meeting reserved for public comments had brought up traffic during the Mistletoe Market, which in some cases resulted in motorists waiting roughly an hour to leave downtown.

Councilman Jeff Brooks called the snarl a “perfect storm” due in part to a fatal car accident less than 2 miles southwest of the Route 10 and Main intersection at Foursquare Road, diverting Virginia State Police troopers assigned to direct traffic at Route 10 and Main the day of the market.

According to Stallings, troopers have again been assigned to manage the Route 10 and Main intersection the day of the parade.

“That will free up our assets to be elsewhere along the route and to be able to do the switch on the bridge,” Stallings said.

Smithfield’s and Isle of Wight County’s shared tourism department, which took over running the parade two decades ago after the Real Smithfield Jaycees, who originated the event, dissolved, has also made changes to this year’s parade due to the Cypress Creek Bridge rehabilitation.

The parade will be capped at 50 participants this year, down from the typical 80-plus, and the judging stand will relocate to the driveway of the fire station on Grace Street. In prior years, the judging panel set up outside The Smithfield Times office along Main Street.

All 50 participant slots were filled as of Nov. 18, according to the tourism department’s website.

Lineup of participants will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 14 next to the Schoolhouse Museum at 518 Main St. All entrants must line up by 10 a.m.  The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. It will follow its traditional route, beginning on Main Street at the western edge of the town’s historic district, turning left on Mason Street, then left on Grace Street. Judges will announce award winners from 12:45-1 p.m. on the stage outside the Times office.