Contractor crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation are scheduled to start a long-term single-lane closure and traffic shift on I-64 west near Hampton Roads Center Parkway (exit 261) in Hampton as early as May 17. This work is part of ongoing bridge rehabilitation for the construction of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes Newport News Segment, according to a May 4 announcement.
The project aims to manage congestion and improve travel options for motorists in the region. As traffic demand increases, the implementation of express lanes and dynamic tolling is expected to provide more reliable travel choices over time.
Crews will first close one inside lane overnight, reducing travel lanes from four to three and shifting traffic toward the outside of the roadway. After this phase, the closure will move to the outside lane with traffic shifted inside. This pattern will remain until work at this location is estimated to finish in fall 2026. A similar pattern was implemented on I-64 east at this location in 2025.
Motorists are advised that all work is weather- and schedule-dependent, so changes may occur. Drivers should use caution around work zones, follow posted speed limits, observe lane markings and digital message signs, and avoid distractions while driving. The Virginia Department of Transportation recommends using its free 511 Virginia tools or Waze GPS app for up-to-date road conditions through its website or mobile app.
The Hampton Roads Express Lanes Newport News Segment covers about 11.5 miles on I-64 from just east of LaSalle Avenue (exit 265) in Hampton to about one mile west of Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News. Most of this segment involves converting existing high occupancy vehicle lanes into express lanes alongside general purpose lanes; another portion converts a general purpose lane into an express lane alongside two general purpose lanes.
This segment will eventually be part of a continuous 45-mile high-occupancy toll express network from west of Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News through Chesapeake’s Bowers Hill interchange at I-264/I-664. The goal is long-term congestion management by offering more travel choices across key routes for drivers throughout Hampton Roads.
Virginia Department of Transportation manages one of the nation’s largest state highway systems with tens of thousands of lane-miles across Virginia; it provides services such as highway maintenance, traffic management via systems like Virginia 511, land-use permit oversight along state routes, planning new infrastructure projects, operating roads and bridges statewide from its headquarters at East Broad Street in Richmond according to the official website.
