NORFOLK/HAMPTON — The I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) is scheduled to close in one direction at a time during select weekends in October for roadway repaving in the existing tunnels. Each directional closure is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Friday and continue until 5 a.m. Monday, with the opposite direction remaining open.
Planned weekend closure schedule
- Westbound toward Hampton:
- Friday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Oct. 5 at 5 a.m.
- Friday, Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Oct. 12 at 5 a.m.*
- Eastbound toward Norfolk:
- Friday, Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 a.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 2 at 5 a.m.*
*A second closure weekend in each direction will be used if needed to allow the contractor to complete any remaining work in that direction.
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About the repaving project
This repaving project is separate from the HRBT Expansion Project and addresses current pavement needs in the existing tunnels. As a critical regional water crossing along one of Hampton Roads’ highest-trafficked corridors, the HRBT carries more than 100,000 vehicles per day on average during peak season. Those heavy traffic volumes accelerate pavement wear and make maintaining a safe, reliable roadway especially important for the thousands of motorists who depend on the crossing each day. The existing tunnel pavement, last paved westbound in 2006 and eastbound in 2012, has reached or is nearing the end of its typical service life, resulting in more frequent planned and emergency traffic stoppages for temporary repairs.
Completing the work during weekend directional closures allows the contractor crews to repave the roadway while minimizing impacts to weekday travel. Due to space constraints inside the tunnels and the size of the equipment and crews required for milling, paving and pavement markings, a full directional closure is necessary to safely complete the work.
The paving work is weather-dependent. If weather or other conditions prevent work from taking place as scheduled, additional designated backup weekends may be used: Nov. 6-9 and Nov. 13-16. No closure is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 23-26.
Travel impacts and alternate routes
VDOT is coordinating with localities, law enforcement and regional partners to keep alternate routes open, support incident response and help manage traffic during the closures. However, motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to limit nonessential travel or plan ahead during the closure weekends. Motorists who need to travel should allow extra travel time and consider using the signed detour via I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as the primary alternate route. Depending on their destination, motorists may also consider other regional routes, including the James River Bridge via Route 17 or the free Jamestown-Scotland Ferry.
For additional project information, the latest schedule and to sign up for project email updates, visit the HRBT paving project webpage at VDOT.Virginia.gov/HRBTclosures. Before traveling, motorists should also check VDOT’s free 511 Virginia website and mobile app for the latest closure and traffic information. Third-party navigation apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze may not reflect the most up-to-date closure information.
