VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach City Council was updated on a couple of different infrastructure projects on Tuesday.
First, an engineer with VDOT briefed them on the latest construction on Laskin Road.
The Laskin Road Bridge Replacement and Widening Project will include the heavily-traveled Hilltop business corridor of Virginia Beach, starting at Republic Road, through the First Colonial Road intersection, and ending with the bridge replacement just west of Red Robin Road.
Virginia Beach
Detour off of Laskin Road extended until fall
“It’s very, very dense up in there, so we want to make sure we get that out of the way and done as quickly as possibly to help open things up with the project," said Tim Kelley, Senior Communications Specialist for Virginia Department of Transportation’s Hampton Roads district.
Kelley said they’ve pushed contractors to complete the intersection of First Colonial Road and Laskin, and he expects it to be finished by November.
The rest of the work should be finished by Spring of 2025, he says. That was delayed, in part due to soil conditions and utility conflicts.
Some business owners are eager to have it all finished.
Watch previous coverage: Detour off of Laskin Road extended until fall
“I believe it’s affected business in a negative kind of way," Gerald Einhorn of Gerald’s Ice Cream Bar in Hilltop North Shopping Center said.
But he’s staying positive.
“My attitude about it is: I don’t have any choice but to be optimistic about it, because I’m here and I have to do business,” adding, “Is it painful? Yes, but it’s progress.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, in addition to talking about the timeline, City Council members also asked VDOT about beautification efforts. No immediate plan was announced, but council member Worth Remick talked about how he feels that is important.
VDOT previously reported that they reached an agreement, including a financial incentive, with the contractor to expedite the completion of a key stretch of the project corridor on Laskin Road from Republic Road to the Hilltop North Shopping Center, as well as on First Colonial Road from Laurel Lane to I-264.
