In Henrico, crash rates for first-year drivers licensed through the public-school system dropped from 21 percent in 2003 to 3.56 percent for the most recent school year, one of the lowest in the state. Henrico school officials say they’re determined to continue that downward trend. As requirements—for teachers and students—go up, educators see crash rates dropping. And that can mean the difference between life and death.

Richmond-area commuters, beware this morning of potentially icy conditions on bridges. Richmond police responded to a two-vehicle accident in the northbound lanes of the Boulevard Bridge at 7 a.m. Officers arriving on the bridge reported there was a layer of frosty ice on the span crossing the James River. At 7 a.m., the National Weather Service said the temperature in Richmond was 26 degrees—on its way to a projected high of 52 this afternoon.

This year, you can plan your Thanksgiving travel to avoid the worst traffic, thanks to an online tool from the Virginia Department of Transportation. Find out more about this interactive program.

Q:A stoplight is needed at Robson Street and Pump Road. When you are southbound on Pump Road and one vehicle wants to turn left, vehicles behind it will pass on the right in the right-turn-only lane. This should be illegal. A traffic light would allow drivers to turn left and avoid problems here.—Jutta Answer: Henrico County officials said that, based on traffic volume and the number accidents, a stoplight is not warranted here.

CHESAPEAKE—A bridge that has carried people between Chesapeake and Portsmouth for the past 80 years is closing for good. The Chesapeake City Council voted last month to shut down the Jordan Bridge rather than finding millions of dollars needed to repair its structural problems. Inspectors said the bridge is too dangerous to keep open and too costly to repair.

Virginia and five other states have agreed to coordinate their planning efforts for the busy Interstate 81 corridor. The agreement is aimed at coordinating public and private investment in highway and rail infrastructure to build a smooth-flowing freight and passenger network along I-81 and its extensions from Tennessee to New York, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

A Chesterfield County teenager died from injuries he received in a single-car crash early yesterday morning in Chesterfield , Virginia State Police said. Adrian Alfred Brown, 19, of the 2700 block of Timberline Court was a passenger in a car that was traveling south on Jefferson Davis Highway, one-half mile south of Leighworth Boulevard, when the car struck a utility pole shortly after 4 a.m., police said. He died at VCU Medical Center at 5:08 a.m.

A Chesterfield County teenager died from injuries he received in a single-car crash early yesterday morning in Chesterfield , Virginia State Police said. Adrian Alfred Brown, 19, of the 2700 block of Timberline Court was a passenger in a car that was traveling south on Jefferson Davis Highway, one-half mile south of Leighworth Boulevard, when the car struck a utility pole shortly after 4 a.m., police said. He died at VCU Medical Center at 5:08 a.m.

A North Carolina woman died in a single-car crash in Dinwiddie County today, Virginia State Police said. Astrid Mariel Emmanuelli, 27, of Raleigh, was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by Carlos Alfonso Penalva, 32, also of Raleigh, northbound on Interstate 85, about 2 miles south of U.S. 460, when it struck a tree at 4:10 p.m., Sgt. Tom Cunningham said.

A 19-year-old Chesterfield man died early this morning after a car in which he was a passenger crashed into a utility pole. The wreck occurred about 4:03 a.m. in the 14300 block of Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfield. Adrian A. Brown of the 2700 block of Timberline Court was pronounced dead at VCU Medical Center. The driver and another passenger suffered minor injuries.

Three people were injured yesterday morning in a crash that occurred during a pursuit involving Richmond police at a busy Fan District intersection. The crash occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Park Avenue at Lombardy Street near Stuart Circle, home to the restaurant Kuba Kuba. A Richmond police officer and two suspects were injured. Here’s what police say happened:

The brother of Sen. John McCain said yesterday that he’ll withdraw from campaign activities after calling 911 to complain about traffic. Joe McCain also apologized for the call. Joe McCain, who lives in Alexandria, said in an apology aired on Washington radio station WTOP that he was returning from a campaign event in Philadelphia around 2 a.m. Oct. 18 when he got stuck in traffic at the Wilson Bridge. After 40 minutes, he called 911 to find out what was going on.

Skyline Drive, a tiny bucolic mountain road winding 105 miles through the heart of Shenandoah National Park, now is a National Historic Landmark. The designation, reserved for places that possess exceptional value to the American people, is the highest ranking bestowed by the federal government on a historic resource. “It’s really, really a phenomenal resource,“ said Kathleen S. Kilpatrick, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. With Skyline Drive, “you are linking this amazing, man-made structure with a phenomenal natural landscape. Each component enhances the beauty of the other.“

One lane is closed on northbound Interstate 85 in Dinwiddie County because of a wreck involving a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck this morning. State Police said there were injuries, but they had no details. The wreck occurred just north of Squirrel Level Road about 7:15 a.m. The right lane of the interstate has been reopened.

One lane of Queensgate Road between Watchhill Road and Glenpark Lane in Walton Park will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. today and tomorrow for utilities repairs, Chesterfield County announced. Traffic will be alternated through the work area.