NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wants to hear from Hampton Roads drivers.
On Thursday, VDOT hosted a public hearing at Lake Taylor Middle School, hoping to get feedback from residents on the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Phase III-A Project in Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Project leaders said the improvements are designed to provide additional capacity, reduce daily congestion along I-64, and improve safety and traffic operations.
At the public hearing, residents reviewed the proposed project plans and exhibits on display and asked questions.
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"We really want to get input from the citizens, local community members about our project and explain the preliminary design that we have," said VDOT Project Manager Claudia Walsh.
This project is located at the I-64/I-264 interchange. Some areas impacted by the project include I-64 between Northampton Boulevard and 1 mile east of I-264 near the Twin Bridges, I-264 between I-64 and the Greenwich Road overpass and the inside I-264 east collector-distributor lanes.
"This area does get congested with a lot of merging and weaving from North Hampton and people trying to get to 264," said Walsh. "So this will increase our capacity, it's going to improve our congestion and it's really going to improve the safety of that area."
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While the first two phases of improvement projects at the I-64/I-264 interchange, completed in 2019 and 2022, addressed improvements for the westbound movements from I-64 to I-264 east and along I-264 east, the Phase III-A sub-project is designed to address operational improvements for the eastbound movements from I-64 to I-264 east.
The entire project is estimated to cost $519.6 million. It is still in the design phase of the process, but VDOT hopes to have the improvements completed by 2030.
A ten-day comment period will remain in place on the project until November 3, 2024.
If you have any comments, you can e-mail them to Claudia.Walsh@VDOT.Virginia.gov. Those who chose to comment are asked to reference “I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Project Phase III-A Comment” in the subject line.
