Virginia to invest $497 million to improve Interstate 64

The state of Virginia will spend a combined $496.9 million on a pair of highway projects that will rehabilitate bridges and improve a major interchange ramp as part of the state’s broader effort to improve Interstate 64 (I-64).

Both projects are currently in the design phase and will improve safety and traffic flow of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes Network (HREL) – a continuous 45-mile stretch of express lanes on I-64 from the cities of Newport News to Chesapeake.

The first project, with an estimated $315.9 million cost, will repurpose a 7-mile segment of I-64 in central Norfolk, converting the existing lanes into one part-time, high-occupancy express shoulder lane and three general-purpose lanes. In addition, the state will replace one bridge and rehabilitate 10 others.

Other work includes installing noise barriers, tolling gantries and roadway widening. The project also includes overhead signage and right-of-way acquisition. Bids will open in fall 2024. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) estimates construction will begin in summer 2025.

The second project, with an estimated $181 million cost, will upgrade ramp interchange connectivity and widen I-64 in Chesapeake. VDOT expects construction to begin in late 2024.

The 1.62-mile infrastructure upgrade will widen I-64 to accommodate two lanes of travel on a highway exit. The state will also build a ramp, reconfigure a separate ramp and rehabilitate an overpass bridge to accommodate two expanded lanes and shoulders.

The projects are part of an overall $5.6 billion series of projects for the HREL network serving the cities of Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Chesapeake.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced a $141 million low-interest loan to boost the $445 million Hampton Road Segment 4C HREL project. The project, already under construction, will add express lanes to a chokepoint in the road network to improve access to Virginia’s port system, the nation’s third largest along the Eastern Seaboard.

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