The new extension adds 7 miles of part-time express lanes to I-64 in Norfolk between the 264 interchange and Tidewater Drive. It’ll turn a shoulder into an express lane and widen and modernize several bridges along the way.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donahue spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony at Norfolk Premium Outlets Friday, and said it’ll open in three years.
“We're breaking ground on almost a $400 million project, which is the final leg of the 45-mile improvements to I-64 and the express lane network down here in Hampton Roads.”
The project is scheduled to open in 2029. Donahue said there will be impacts to drivers during construction.
“There's a lot of nighttime work, there's weekend work, and I want to be clear. I know people use the roads at night and on the weekends, and so people are most certainly impacted. But we do the best that we can to try and minimize those disruptions.”
Donahue said there are lots of benefits to express lanes, particularly since they’re adding a lane by taking over a shoulder, rather than modifying a general use lane.
Express lanes move 50% more people than general-purpose lanes because they’re free for those carpooling or using buses. Those driving alone will see dynamic pricing for use of the lane; the price ticks up as more cars enter, which helps keep traffic in the lane down.
The project was made possible by a loan from the federal government’s Build America Bureau, and Donahue said VDOT will be going back to that well for more.
Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian said Virginia is the No. 1 borrower in the federal TIFIA loan program, and he expects the state will remain competitive in future applications.
