Hampton Roads Beltway
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
Route information | |
---|---|
Maintained by VDOT | |
Length | 56 mi (90 km) |
Component highways |
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Major junctions | |
I-664 in Chesapeake | |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Virginia |
Highway system | |
The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of
History
Even before
Indeed, the first two-laned portion of the
Building of
I-64, the portion of the Hampton Roads Beltway which was completed first, makes a huge 35-mile (56 km) long arc around the area, from Hampton through portions of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake and around Portsmouth to reach Bower's Hill at the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp.
It was a number of years before the newer I-664 portion was built. The 21-mile (34 km) roadway connects with I-64 at Bower's Hill in Chesapeake and crosses through portions of Portsmouth and Suffolk to cross Hampton Roads via the
In January, 1997, a 56-mile (90 km)-long I-64/I-664 loop was designated by the Virginia Department of Transportation (and signed) as the Hampton Roads Beltway.
Route description
I-664 begins at a full Y interchange with I-64 and I-264 that serves as the terminus of all three Interstates in the
Just south of its
North of SR 135, northbound I-664 has a vehicle inspection station and crossovers before the highway enters the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel. The bridge-tunnel passes to the west of Craney Island, an artificial island in the city of Portsmouth that lies to the west of the mouth of the Elizabeth River. West of the highway is the confluence of the James River and Nansemond River to form Hampton Roads, as well as the James River Bridge a short distance to the north on the namesake river. I-664 heads north-northeast along a causeway for 3 miles (4.8 km) to a point west of the Newport News Middle Ground Light, where the pair of bridges curve to the north-northwest onto an artificial island where the highway descends into a pair of tunnels under the estuary's main shipping channel. The Interstate resurfaces on another artificial island at Newport News Point east of the coal piers in the city of Newport News.[1][2]
I-664 has a southbound vehicle inspection station adjacent to its first interchange in Newport News, with Terminal Avenue. The Interstate parallels the southern end of
The Hampton Roads Beltway continues east along I-64, continuing the Inner Loop. I-64 curves north-northeast to pass north of Downtown Hampton and cross the Hampton River, turning back southward to reach the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which it utilizes to cross the main shipping channel at the entrance to the harbor of Hampton Roads from the Chesapeake Bay.
Once on the Southside, I-64 turns south through Norfolk, passing the eastern boundary of Naval Station Norfolk and Chambers Field, and the spur route supplying it, Interstate 564. It then becomes a six lane divided highway with a two lane reversible roadway in the middle, which is used for HOV-traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. It continues through Norfolk, curving multiple times and eventually ending up heading due south as it passes the interchange with another of its spur routes, Interstate 264 on the northwest side of Virginia Beach.
After I-264, there are no more directional markers I-64 until its "eastern" terminus, because I-64 "east" will actually head west after its current southward course, and vice versa. From I-264 to its "eastern" terminus, it is simply only signed as the Inner and Outer loop of the Hampton Roads Beltway.
Shortly after the I-264 interchange, I-64 leaves Virginia Beach for the city of Chesapeake. It soon comes to a complex interchange between another of its spur routes, Interstate 464, along with SR 168 and U.S. 17. I-64, now running westward, crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River using the High Rise Bridge. The road then curves northwesterly and comes back to Bowers Hill, where it meets the western terminus of Interstate 264 and the southern terminus of Interstate 664, completing the Beltway.
Projects
High Rise Bridge & I-64 widening
The Southside portion of the Beltway (from the
- The first phase of the project would widen I-64 to 6 lanes in each direction by adding the new lane to the median in both directions as a managed lane, begin the construction of the new High Rise Bridge, and replace and rehabilitate other existing bridges in the area. This segment is estimated to cost around $600 million.
- The second phase would see all six lanes of I-64 shifted to the newly constructed bridge while the old bridge is demolished and replaced with a new four lane bridge that would eventually carry Inner Loop (I-64 West) traffic.
- The final phase would see the addition of the fourth lanes of traffic added to both directions and the shift of Inner Loop/I-64 West to the newly reconstructed bridge.
Once completed, the entire corridor would be an eight-lane stretch of highway, with two 135-ft fixed span bridges. Estimated costs for the entire project are currently estimated at $2.30 billion. Currently, the project is expected to be awarded in August 2017, with construction likely to begin in 2018.[3] Plans have construction to be complete by 2020.
Outer Loop/I-264 interchange widening
In 2016, VDOT undertook a project to build and improve on the exit ramp from the Outer Loop (I-64 westbound, from Chesapeake towards Norfolk/Hampton) to eastbound
High Occupancy - Toll (HOT) lane conversion
As part of the I-64 Express Lanes project, the Hampton Roads Beltway will see the conversion of all of its HOV lanes to HOT lanes. Segment 1 will convert the 2 lane reversible roadway in Norfolk between the I-64/I-564 interchange and the I-64/I-264 interchange to HOT-2 lanes, Segment 2 would convert the single HOV-2 diamond lane in each direction to HOT-2 lanes, and will extend those lanes across the new High Rise Bridge to the Bowers Hill interchange, and Segment 3 would continue the project from the I-564/I-64 interchange in Norfolk across the Hampton Roads to the I-64/I-664 interchange in Newport News.
Segment 1 is currently the only completed section. Segment 2 is currently under construction as part of the I-64 Southside Widening and the Segment 3 as part of the HRBT Expansion in 2024.
References
- ^ a b c "2009 Traffic Data". Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ a b c Google (2011-09-13). "Hampton Roads Beltway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ "I-64 Southside Widening and High Rise Bridge Phase 1 Project". www.virginiadot.org. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "I-64/I-264 Improvements: Phase 1". www.i64i264improvements.org. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
Further reading
- 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005" - newest feature- interstate mileage by state
- Virginia Department of Transportation Travel Center - Hampton Roads Tunnels and Bridges