This report is from a daytrip around the Hampton Roads area on December 8, 2001.
Headed out this morning to start my videolog collection of Hampton Roads
highways, and a few other notes. Some of you are already familiar with these
routes:
- Videotaped "Westbound" VA 199 around Williamsburg. Noted the two sections on
the south end of Williamsburg that are still 2-lane. The relatively recently
freewayized section on the north end (from north of VA 5 almost back to I-64
Exit 234) is nice, and even has a SPUI at VA 321 (note to SPUI: VA 321 is
signed). Disappointed that VDOT does not properly show this section as a freeway
on the state highway map.
- Videotaped Eastbound I-64 from VA 199 (Exit 234) to I-664. Construction
on new Exit 243A interchange near VA 143/US 60/Busch Gardens...SB exit ramp was
open, NB still closed). Noted the widened sections through Newport News/Hampton,
as well as construction to bring the widening to the I-664 interchange. Two
flyovers being built at the I-64/US 258 interchange (WB 64-WB 258, EB 64-EB
258). Speed limit is signed as 55 MPH through the urbanized part of Newport
News/Hampton, but average speed of traffic was 65-70 MPH, with a few pundits
doing 80+...this is consistent with the rest of the Hampton Roads area.
- Videotaped Southbound I-664 in its entirety (almost). 8-laning through
Hampton/Newport News appears feasible, but would require a lot of overpass
reconstruction, and some interesting construction near downtown Newport News. A
lot of ghost ramps at interchanges along I-664 through Suffolk...looked like 2
of the interchanges (forget the cross-streets offhand) were built as diamonds
originally, with the ghost ramps built in to accommodate eventual expansion to
full cloverleaves.
- Videotaped US 58 in both directions from I-664 to the west end of the Suffolk
bypass. Construction underway at the west end of the Suffolk bypass on a
southern leg (presumably for through trucks to get to US 13 South...they are
presently banned from downtown Suffolk). Bridge piers were up, and an
overhead BGS has already been installed (but blacked out). Also noted ghost
ramps at the interchange where US 13 splits from US 58/460 (presently, EB 58/460
to SB 13 and NB 13 to WB 58/460 do not exist).
- Videotaped Eastbound I-264 in its entirety. EB I-264 exit ramp to I-464
has an ugly turn, and is in an ugly location (just after coming out of the
Downtown Tunnel). To stay on EB I-264 requires changing lanes to the right on
the upslope of the Berkley Bridge (a drawbridge)...something difficult enough to
do with weekend traffic, let alone rush hour traffic. There are two ways to get
to WB I-64 from either direction of I-264...either from I-264 itself (although
WB 264-WB 64 goes to the Reversible HOV lane on I-64, and is closed of the lane
is running EB traffic), or from the C/D roads parallel to I-264. I-264 for
several miles east of I-64 has, in effect, 10 lanes...6 general purpose lanes, 2
inside lanes that are HOV-2 during rush hour, and 2 outside "shoulder lanes",
which are normally closed (including today), but people were using them anyway.
- Videotaped Westbound I-264 (and approach) from Atlantic Ave in VA Beach to
I-64.
- Videotaped Westbound I-64 from I-264 to I-564. I like how the Reversible HOV
Lanes are open to all traffic during non-rush-hours. There are 2 such
lanes, barricaded from the regular lanes, running from I-264 to I-564. Mainline
I-64 through here has 3 lanes each direction, with a 4th auxiliary lane between
I-264 and US 13.
- Videotaped Westbound I-564 in its entirety. Westbound has a brief 10-lane
section between I-64 and VA 406 (where 2 lanes split off). Eastbound
through here has C/D roads in this section. Very noticeable how I-564 was
originally 4 lanes from VA 406 up to the Norfolk Navy Base gates, with the
additional 2 lanes "shoehorned in". Neat how I-564 goes under Runway 10/28 at
Chambers Field....lots of big military cargo jets visible from I-564, and I saw
Air Force One parked on the tarmac when I drove by yesterday afternoon
(President Bush was visiting the Enterprise (CVN-65)).
These videologs (and more that I'll do) will form the basis of the exit lists I
plan to do for the Hampton Roads area. Eventually, once I get them converted,
I'll post these videologs online for others.
A few other notes:
- The VA 168/VA 165 interchange (mislabeled on some maps) effectively functions
as a SPUI, since there's a single stoplight on VA 165 (notes for SPUI: VA
168/Tidewater Dr is the through route, VA 165/Little Creek Rd is the side route,
under/frontage).
- Found an EB "US 165" shield, just east of US 460/Granby St.
- Approaching Gate 3 at the base, there are still VA 170 trailblazers posted.
This gate, BTW, is closed until further notice, due to 9/11. Traffic
coming off of I-564 goes through Gate 3A, which can be horribly congested (not
as bad as Gate 2, though).
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(C) 2007, Adam Froehlig