PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Almost every morning, traffic builds along the Western Freeway as drivers attempt to navigate through the Midtown Tunnel and into downtown Norfolk. Congestion in the area has long been a concern, and state transportation leaders say improvements are possible, but public input is essential.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is conducting a survey this month to gather feedback from residents on potential upgrades to four intersections along Route 164. The intersections under review include Towne Point Road, Cedar Lane, the Virginia International Gateway, and West Norfolk Road.
According to Mitzi Crystal with VDOT, the survey builds on previous community input and traffic studies. Residents have consistently raised concerns about stopping, weaving, and merging difficulties at on- and off-ramps, particularly during peak travel times such as the morning commute. These issues, Crystal says, contribute significantly to traffic congestion in the area.
Proposed improvements aim to address those challenges by reducing conflict points for drivers and improving traffic flow.
“Those include eliminating some of the ramp weaving areas by consolidating the ramps, and extending acceleration and deceleration lanes to allow for longer merging periods to ease congestion for drivers,” Crystal said.
VDOT encourages residents who regularly travel through the area to participate in the survey, as their feedback will help guide future transportation planning and improvements along the corridor. The deadline to fill it out is January 20.
The survey can be found here.
