Construction of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike (I-95)

This photograph shows the construction of the segment of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike that bisected Richmond’s historically Black community of Jackson Ward. The closest visible overpass in the foreground is Seventh Street, and the furthest back is Belvedere Street. The city demolished hundreds of homes and businesses to build the turnpike, and in the process created a wide barrier between North Jackson Ward and the rest of the community.