Hampton Roads is home to many U.S. military and supporting sites that are important to the defense and security of our nation.  As a result of the area’s large military presence, much of the local economy is driven by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Defense readiness and efficient military operations require a sufficient transportation network so that cargo and personnel can be moved as quickly and safely as possible.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area, has completed the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study: 2018 Update.  For this study, the HRTPO staff worked with many stakeholders—local military representatives, federal agencies, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), Virginia Port Authority (VPA) and local jurisdictions—to determine transportation concerns and needs of the local military. 

This 2018 update to the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study provides an update to Phase I (Highway Network Analysis, September 2011) and III (Roadways Serving the Military and Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge, July 2013) using the most recent data and analysis.  Based on stakeholder input, HRTPO staff identified a roadway network that includes both the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) and additional roadways that serve the military sites and intermodal facilities not included in the STRAHNET. Staff reviewed this “Roadways Serving the Military in Hampton Roads” network to determine deficient locations, such as congested segments, deficient bridges, low bridge and tunnel vertical clearances, lane widths below military preferences, and segments vulnerable to flooding. Recommendations have been developed for these deficient locations throughout this report.

The HRTPO will update the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study about every five years as part of the Hampton Roads Congestion Management Process (CMP).  HRTPO staff will make specific updates to this study as conditions change and warrant additional analysis.  The study results can also serve as a basis for future military-related studies.

HRTPO will also continue to integrate military transportation needs into the Hampton Roads Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the blueprint for the region’s multimodal transportation development. Data and analyses within this study feed directly into the LRTP process and provide military-related inputs for the Project Prioritization Tool, which is used to score transportation projects in order to assist decision makers with project selection.

Over the years, the HRTPO has developed a strong working relationship with the military. HRTPO staff plans to continue working with military stakeholders on future/ongoing military-related transportation initiatives, such as Joint Land Use Studies (JLUS) which are currently underway at several military sites across the region. These coordinated efforts will continue to strengthen the transportation planning process for both the military and the surrounding communities.

It is important for regions with a military presence to engage local military leaders and maintain a cooperative exchange of information.  A partnership between the military and transportation stakeholders takes time to develop and strengthen.  By providing a thorough assessment of the military’s views on this vital topic to an MPO Policy Board, MPO staff can enable that Board to respond to those views.

Click Here to view a copy of the final report.