By: Chris Wichman, Transportation Planner
The December HRTPO Project of the Month highlights the I-64 Capacity Improvements from Newport News to Williamsburg. This project was recently funded and initiated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, and includes the construction of one additional travel lane and a new 12-foot shoulder in each direction along a twelve mile corridor of I-64, beginning near Jefferson Ave. (Exit 255) and extending to Humelsine Parkway/Route 199 (Exit 242). VDOT has divided the project into two independent segments (see map) for the purposes of phasing construction. The preliminary engineering phase of the project is now underway, with construction expected to begin no later than the summer of 2017 contingent on VDOT ‘Design-Build’ contracting.
VDOT expects that new travel lanes and shoulders will primarily be added in the median of the existing I-64 alignment, as seen in the diagram below. In some areas, a concept known as ‘context sensitive design’ will be applied by VDOT to allow flexibility in the placement of new travel lanes where existing interchanges, bridge structures, and environmentally sensitive areas limit the viability of the median.
A total of $100 million was allocated to the I-64 Capacity Improvement Project (UPC #104905) in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s recently adopted FY 2014- FY 2019 Six-Year Improvement Program. As a result, the HRTPO Board officially adopted the project into the HRTPO Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in July of 2013. The HRTPO Board has also officially supported the continuation of I-64 widening through an additional ‘Segment 3’, to extend the project from Route 199 East of Williamsburg (exit 242) to Route 199 West of Williamsburg (exit 234), however funding has not yet been allocated to this segment.
For more information on the I-64 Widening project, please visit the resources below:
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