The estimated 100,000 drivers each day on the I-64/I-264 interchange will see the changes that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been working on for the past few years. This week, the VDOT announced that Phase II of its interchange improvements were complete. There are more improvements in the pipeline over the next few years.
The interchange is part of a network of highways that helps connect Virginia Beach and Norfolk. That helps explain why the VDOT is pouring $194 million into just this phase of construction. It needed improvements, and thankfully, it’s getting them.
The I-64/I-264 interchange got an extension and a flyover bridge.
Phase I of the project was completed a few years ago. It widened parts of I-64 and added a new collector-distributor road along eastbound I-264 to the Newtown Road interchange. It also added more on- and off-ramps for drivers.
Phase II expanded on the work that the VDOT completed in Phase I. Firstly, it extended the collector-distributor road from Newtown Road to Witchduck Road. Next, it reworked the south side of both of those interchanges to improve mobility. Finally, it added a bridge over the freeway that connects Greenwich Road and Cleveland Street.
All of these improvements aim to make these interchanges safer and more efficient for drivers. VDOT officials noted that the interchange was pretty consistently backed up during rush hour prior to the improvements. Things shouldn’t be so bad for commuters, transporters, and road users of all kinds anymore.
Now we wait for Phase III.
There is no word yet on when exactly Phase III of construction will begin. However, the VDOT seems enthusiastic about it. On its website outlining the third phase, the agency noted that Phases I and II were more about shoring up deficiencies in the original plan and design than properly fixing all issues with the interchange. Phase III, it claims, will create a more sustainable, long-term solution for all drivers. Hopefully, construction will begin soon!