PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) -- With the new Midtown Tunnel set to open months ahead of schedule, crews will completely shut down the existing tunnel this weekend to begin rehabilitation.
The U.S. 58 Midtown Tunnel will be closed from Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m. to Monday, June 6 at 5 a.m., weather permitting.
Traffic will be detoured to the I-264 Downtown Tunnel as an alternate route.
- Motorists traveling from Norfolk to Portsmouth will follow this signed detour.
- Motorists traveling from Portsmouth to Norfolk will follow this signed detour.
Rehabilitation and construction work planned for this weekend includes:
- Relocating cable and conduit in preparation for future ceiling demolition
- Replacing tile along the walls
- Pouring concrete on the Elizabeth River Trail pedestrian bridge
- Performing various finishing work on the tunnel approaches
- Continued modification of the existing barrier wall on the Norfolk approach to allow for a crossover point between the two Midtown Tunnel tubes
PHOTOS: One lane of new Midtown tunnel project opens
Maintenance work which normally requires lane and tunnel closures will also take place this weekend, including tide gate testing and pothole patching.
The Midtown Tunnel connects Norfolk and Portsmouth. Work began on the project in 2013, and it was set to open in December of this year. However, construction on the tunnel is now complete. Sometime this summer, the westbound lane of traffic in the existing Midtown Tunnel will shift into one lane of the new tunnel.
The exact date of the change isn't set.
