NORFOLK, Va. — Drivers traveling through Chesapeake should prepare for overnight traffic changes as construction continues on one of Hampton Roads' busiest highway interchanges.
Beginning Sunday, July 12, through Thursday, July 17, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will fully close westbound Interstate 64 at the Interstate 464 interchange each night from midnight until 5 a.m. The closures are necessary to install steel girders for a new flyover ramp being built as part of the I-64/I-464 Exit 291 Improvement Project.
According to VDOT, the project is designed to reduce the number of merging movements between vehicles, improving both safety and traffic flow.
"We're reducing the frequency of those merges as well. So that will improve safety, it will also improve congestion, especially in the afternoon," said Beau Gutridge with VDOT.
The more than $100 million improvement project includes construction of a new bridge carrying I-464 north over I-64, rehabilitation of the existing bridge, reconfiguration of the ramp from I-64 east to I-464 north, and construction of the new flyover ramp. The upcoming girder installation marks another major milestone in the project.
Installing the massive steel beams requires careful planning because of the challenges involved in lifting and placing them over an active interstate.
"When we erect those girders over the top of the interstate, those girders will tend to roll on you," Gutridge explained. "So that's a challenge that we have to consider as we plan our work so we're able to control that movement and erect multiple girders at a time."
During the overnight closures, signed detours will direct drivers around the work zone using Battlefield Boulevard and the Chesapeake Expressway.
In addition, the Chesapeake section of the Westbound Express Lanes between Bowers Hill and Greenbrier will also be closed from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. on the same dates to accommodate the construction work.
Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and follow posted detour signs while crews complete this phase of the project.
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