Hampton Roads Third Crossing

1. Hampton Roads Third Crossing I. Introduction VDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is proposing to construct a new bridge-tunnel crossing of Hampton Roads in southeastern Virginia. II. Need and purpose of multimodal system A contributor to congestion at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel is the fact that the facility frequently operates at capacity during the peak hour. As daily volumes continue to grow, congestion is likely to spread out over a longer time period. The duration of congested periods will increase causing the “rush hour” to become a “rush period”. Relevant goals, objectives, performance measures, stakeholders include • The combination of the decreasing performance of the transportation system and increasing pressures due to growth in population and employment, emphasizes the need to develop intermodal alternatives that can work together to improve accessibility, mobility, and goods movement in the Hampton Roads area. • There is a need to address the decreasing performance of the transportation system in a manner which will positively contribute to the most cost effective utilization of transportation investments that have already been made in the region. • Of equal importance in planning for transportation needs in the Hampton Roads area is environmental protection and enhancement • Stakeholders in the project include: Tourism, Ports, Military IV. Integration plan CTB Endorsement of Locally Preferred Alternative: On September 18, 1997, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) passed a resolution which expressed its good faith intent to facilitate and develop the Hampton Roads Transportation Crossing identified as Transportation Corridor 9, which consists of a facility that includes a Bridge/Tunnel from I- 564 in Norfolk to I-664 in Newport News with a connection from this new facility to the Western Freeway (Route 164), in Portsmouth and with the CSX Transportation Corridor on the Peninsula for the transit component as adopted by the MPO. III. Rationale for selected alternative Candidate Build Alternative 9, voted by the CTB as the approved location, would provide a new crossing parallel to the I-664 Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel with a connection from the new bridge tunnel to Norfolk and Portsmouth. ($2.7 billion). The CTB’s decision was based on Alternative 9’s abilities to best meet the primary project purpose and its underlying needs. In fact, Candidate Build Alternative 9 is the only alternative that addresses all aspects of purpose and need. It also does the best job of improving total mobility between the Southside and the Peninsula and can also be constructed in usable segments with each segment: 1) contributing to project purpose and need and; 2) having logical termini and independent utility. Other Alternatives include: • The No-Build Alternative ($0 billion) • Candidate Build Alternative 1 which would provide a new crossing parallel to the existing I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. ($1.2 billion) • Candidate Build Alternative 2 which includes all of Candidate Build Alternative 1, and it also includes a portion of Candidate Build Alternative 9. ($2.0 billion) Source: Hampton Roads Crossing Study