NORFOLK, Va. — A new interstate stretching from Raleigh, North Carolina to Norfolk is in the works. It's a project that will eventually make it easier to move people and goods from north to south.
The future Interstate 87 would begin in Raleigh on what is now U.S. Highway 64 eastward for 100 miles, before hitting Williamston and turning onto U.S. Highway 17 for 80 miles through Elizabeth City. It will then join Interstates 64 and 464 to Norfolk.
Future I-87 would benefit Hampton Roads, northeastern N.C. economies, expert says
Describing Hampton Roads as "the world’s largest cul-de-sac," Old Dominion University (ODU) Economics Professor Bob McNab said the interstate would open a lot of doors. While zipping up to Richmond or the nation's capital is easy if you avoid the traffic, McNab said going south is really difficult.
To drive down to North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia, you will have to head west. One of the main routes is U.S. Highway 58, which connects Hampton Roads to Interstates 95 and 85.
The limited route makes it difficult for people and businesses in the Southeast to take advantage of what Hampton Roads has to offer: beaches, music festivals, military bases, and one of the country’s most productive ports.
"Right now, it’s very inefficient," McNab said. "We’re just literally bounded by our inability to move quickly to Raleigh, to Charlotte, and other metro areas."
McNab, who also acts as the director of ODU's Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, said building I-87 would be "a spark to the engine of the Hampton Roads economy."
"One way to think about it: We talk about lifting growth in Hampton Roads, we want to diversify the economic base of the region away from the federal government," McNab explained. "Retaining our role in national security, but also sparking innovation and entrepreneurship."
He said building this interstate would not only make it easier to move goods and people in and out, but it would also kickstart development in areas like Elizabeth City with untapped potential.
"There's a vast tract of undeveloped land that can not only be built for housing but also spark what? It can spark entrepreneurship, it can attract firms to the area," McNab said.
McNab uses the construction of I-85 through South Carolina in the 90s as an example.
"When it was mostly rural farmland along I-85 and when BMW first built its plant in Spartanburg everybody goes 'Why are they building it there? Nobody cares. It’s not gonna work, there’s not enough workers,'" McNab said. "And what happens is it sparked innovation and entrepreneurship along that highway corridor."
To see if I-87 could do the same, McNab said it's easy to look at commuting patterns in the area already.
"That’s people coming out of North Carolina to work in Hampton Roads, so that’s already a signal that there are people who are available and willing to work in North Carolina in the economy in this region," McNab said.
McNab called the endeavor "low-hanging, but expensive fruit" for the region.
"Nobody says, 'No, don’t build it.' Everybody says 'Build it.' It’s just a question of when and how much," McNab said.
So, where does the project stand?
I-87 construction proceeds in North Carolina, but very little progress in Virginia
After the federal government approved the interstate designation back in 2016, North Carolina kickstarted its construction of the 180 miles that the state is responsible for.
"We’ve been planning for it [and] we have some funds for it, but it will take several years to accomplish this task," said Andrew Barksdale, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. "Like a lot of things, it doesn’t mean that the federal government just said, ‘Here you go. Here’s a blank check, go ahead and start building.'"
He said the route will cover three highway divisions and 10 counties in the state. The first 10 miles out of Raleigh are already marked as I-87.
"Another chunk of it is already like an interstate, but we still have to make upgrades," Barksdale said.
Barksdale said not only will this boost growth and the economy, but it's also a way to improve safety.
"Virginia and North Carolina, we have threats of hurricanes from time to time and people have to evacuate," Barksdale said. "We have storms and things and having upgraded interstates with fully controlled access interstates will improve evacuation routes."
Despite the progress in North Carolina, Virginia has not taken similar steps to cover the roughly 30 miles the Commonwealth would be responsible for.
In a statement to 13News Now, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said the program is not currently programmed in its six-year improvement plan, nor is it in the “fiscally constrained” Long Range Transportation Plan for the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.
A spokesperson for VDOT went on to say, "Only very early preliminary exploratory discussions have taken place at the state and regional Department of Transportation levels between North Carolina and Virginia, along with the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) staff, to discuss feasibility and potential options for interstate extension."
The department also said it would be “premature for VDOT to take an official stance.”
"We’ve been arguing for the last three years the state’s been running a significant budget surplus, it’s time to start investing in infrastructure," McNab said. "It’s a question of priorities and Governor Youngkin has recognized that Virginia has a transportation problem."
13News Now reached out to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, House Speaker Don Scott, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell to see where they stand on funding I-87's development in Virginia. We haven't heard back from Youngkin or Scott, but Surovell told 13News Now via email he is “not familiar with the project” and would look into it.
In North Carolina, Barksdale said with the progress already made, it could be another 20 years before the interstate is finished with the two states working together.
"Virginia needs to do their part and it's both states are having to prioritize where to spend transportation dollars and there’s a lot of highway safety improvements that are needed all across our state," Barksdale said.
McNab said despite the high price tag of roughly $1 billion, this is not a gamble.
"If you look at the returns to the Hampton Roads economy, the Virginia economy, it is as close to a no-brainer as we could say exists in economic development," McNab said. "That’s why North Carolina is investing in I-87, so Virginia has to pick up the pace."