VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Beachgoers could see some relief on the roads if they travel to Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach this summer.
Starting on Memorial Day, city leaders told News 3 that Phase 7A of their Sandbridge Road Nimmo Parkway Project will be finishing up. On that day, crews will open up the travel lanes, with the remainder of the project due to be finished by around August.
“The project itself is for raising the existing roadway. It’s going to be a two lane roadway, be more resilient for flooding. It includes on road bike lanes, it also includes a ten foot wide shared use path on the Southside of the roadway as well,” said Ryan Johnson, project leader with Virginia Beach.
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This portion of Sandbridge road covers about 1.25 miles from Sandpiper road, extending west. By opening the lanes on Memorial Day, it should make travel to the beach much easier. However, it’s not just about making things easy, it’s about minimizing certain risks, like flooding.
“Raising the roadway is to be more resilient to flooding concerns that have occurred over the years out there. It was one of the major things that was noted as a reason why the corridor sometimes has to be closed and traffic has to be detoured,” Johnson said.
Lessening the flood risks on one of the few roads in and out of this area will be especially important during events like hurricanes. Johnson says as well as addressing the flood concerns, they’ll also be adding more shoulder space so you can pull off the road if you break down.
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“There was just ditches on either side of the roadway with no recovery for anyone. Even if you go six inches outside of the lane line you might end up in the ditch,” Johnson told News 3.
The total project cost is around $26.4 million and is part of the push to extend Nimmo Parkway further to Sandbridge Road. We may see that in the future, but for now, if you plan on driving to Sandbridge this summer, expect to see some changes!
For a link to Phase 7B, the next potential phase of the project, click here.
