Hampton Roads Transit is advising drivers to be a bit more patient heading to and from military bases, as security measures have increased due to heightening tensions with Iran.
Rush hour on Monday saw several delays, including Hampton Boulevard getting backed up to Little Creek, I-564/64 West getting backed up to the Norview Exit, and First View getting backed up to Oceanview. Tuesday morning's commute is starting to show similar delays.
HRT said the following routes can expect to see delays: 1, 2, 3, 21, 22, 27, 29, 919, 922, and 961.
Tuesday residents in the Ocean View area said morning congestion near Naval Station Norfolk is nothing new.
"It's been getting bad," said longtime Ocean View resident Robbie Church. "This whole road on 1st View Street gets blocked up. All of Orange Avenue is blocked up. If you travel down to Orange and cut on to Granby, all of Granby is blocked up."
Church and fellow neighbors said the traffic delays are a longtime problem. They said traffic headed to the gate at Naval Station Norfolk will block their streets and driveways.
"It takes a couple of hours sometimes to get out of my driveway," said Ocean View resident Justen Pedreira. They take 1st View and they turn it into one lane. Both lanes of cars will go the same way."
Church hopes something will change for the long term.
"They should open up some more gates, give them different times to be in or something," Church said. "It is just getting too hectic for the civilians out here that have to make it to jobs outside of the base."
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Director of Public Affairs Beth Baker said there is a 100 percent ID check when cars come to the gates. Every occupant coming onto the base needs an ID. Baker said they ask people to get ID's out ahead of time to decrease delays.
The traffic problems come about days after the U.S. drone attack which killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last Thursday. Navy officials refused to say if any operational security or force protection changes have been implemented specifically because of that incident.
However, a Navy spokesperson confirms for 13 News Now that the Navy as of this past Sunday has suspended its “trusted traveler” program. Under it, an active duty member with a proper Department of Defense identification card could vouch for any passenger in his or her vehicle, and they would be waved aboard the base. The spokesperson said the program has been suspended until further notice.
The spokesperson added, “We realize people may experience delays as our security team ensure that each person is properly clear to access the installation.”
Commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic referred 13 News Now’s inquiries to U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, CO. A spokesman there promised to provide a statement. United States Fleet Forces Command also deferred comments to U.S. Northern Command.
In recent months, there have been violent incidents reported at several bases in the nation. Last month, an aviation student shot and killed three people at the Naval Air Station Pensacola. Before that incident, a sailor opened fire and killed two civilian employees before taking his own life at U.S. Naval base in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
As of Monday, officials said there had not been a broadly distributed order or recommendation to increase security at military installations worldwide. Instead, decisions were being left up to the commanders.
WUSA9 and The Associated Press contributed to this report.