HAMPTON, Va. — A major traffic shift is coming to I-64 in Hampton starting this summer.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is making room for toll lanes in a more than two-mile stretch.
VDOT spokeswoman Nina Ullrich said the construction will happen on I-64 between the Mallory Street exit to the LaSalle Exit in Hampton.
Ullrich said crews are working on adding express lanes to I-64 to ease traffic congestion.
“Right now, we have three general purpose lanes in that 2.4 mile corridor,” Ullrich said.
“Once that construction is complete, we are going to have two express lanes and two general purpose lanes in this particular corridor.”
As crews start on the new lanes, Ullrich said drivers will notice lane shifts during the summer.
“We are going to be taking all the travel lanes, we are going to be shifting them to the east and that is because we need to work on the Hampton River bridges,” Ullrich said.
“As part of this project, residents will always be able to access their neighborhoods.”
She said this project also includes construction work on the six bridges between the Mallory Street to LaSalle exits.
“Detailed traffic analysis has shown that while we will see congestion and traffic a little bit heavier in this project corridor, that once this is complete, we will definitely see how the express lanes are going to be helping our network,” Ullrich said.
Crews are expected to finish work in 2026. Some drivers worry the project will create more traffic.
“When I go back home on King Street, I look on the interstate up there and it’s always backed up,” driver Bobby Hutson said.
But others said it’s necessary work as the area continues to expand.
“I think if it improves the traffic flow, then I think everything will be ok,” driver Linda Lloyd said. “It is just going to take some time.”
VDOT officials are encouraging the community to attend an information session about this project on April 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Y.H. Thomas Community Center in Hampton.
They said they will show drivers visuals of how the shift will impact the traffic pattern.
This Hampton interstate segment is part of the future Hampton Roads Express Lanes Network.
VDOT officials said over the next several years, they are constructing the segments that will make up a 46-mile network across Hampton Roads.