NORFOLK, Va. — Ocean View drivers, heads up!
The City of Norfolk is expected to close 1st View Street to all traffic right under the I-64 bridge, as crews work to widen overpass bridges as part of the larger HRBT Expansion project.
The closure will take effect as early as January 26. A detour route will be in place to get drivers access to the other side of 1st View. Drivers who need to access 1st View Street should take W. Bay Avenue to Granby Street to Tidewater Drive to 1st View Street.
The sight and sound of construction aren't much of a bother to Adelaide Rodriguez.
“I feel like the projects move fairly quickly and living in this area, you get used to construction all over all the time,” the Norfolk resident said.
Learning of a new closure made her think twice about how it could impact her way around town.
“My initial thoughts were what route do I typically take, where am I typically going,” she said.
Barbara Hickey, a crossing guard for Ocean View Elementary School, is concerned with how the closure will impact residential streets.
“They will just find ways to bypass the intersection, which means cutting through the neighborhoods,” Hickey said.
She said she normally catches a lot of drivers speeding throughout the day and fears it will only get worse.
"And with the high rates of speed they go down 1st View, I anticipate a lot of speeders within the neighborhoods themselves,” Hickey said.
Hickey hopes crews will work fast to prevent any issues on smaller streets.
“If they could put a lot of crews on it and get it done as quickly as possible. That would be the best thing,” she said.
1st View Street will remain closed until the summer. The closure and detour of Mason Creek Road will be lifted and open to traffic as early as Monday, January 23.
A spokesperson with Hampton Roads Transit said officials are examining how it will impact a bus route that passes through 1st View Street.