The Commonwealth Transportation Board in Virginia awarded a $409.6 million contract Tuesday to widen I-64 and build a new High Rise Bridge.
The project will widen I-64 from four to six lanes and add one high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane in each direction. The new High Rise Bridge will be built adjacent to the existing one to carry the three lanes of I-64 west traffic over the Elizabeth River. The existing High Rise Bridge will continue to operate during the construction. Once the new bridge is complete, the existing High Rise Bridge will carry three lanes of I-64 east traffic.
The project will also include replacement of the overpass bridge at Great Bridge Boulevard and realignment of the connected roadway. The existing bridges carrying I-64 over Military Highway, Yadkin Road and Shell Road will be widened.
Changes will begin half a mile east of the I-264 interchange at Bowers Hill to one mile east of the I-464 interchange. The new bridge will provide 100-ft vertical clearance over the river. This project is expected to be completed in summer 2021.
The contract was awarded to Granite/Parsons/Corman, Joint Venture of Tarrytown, N.Y. It is the largest design-build contract in Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) history. Funding for the project comes from the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission and the state’s SMART SCALE program.
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News & image source: WAVY-TV (Portsmouth, Va.)
