On September 8, 2015, a groundbreaking ceremony initiated construction on the first phase of the ultimate project to widen 21 miles of Interstate 64 (I-64) in Virginia, notorious for its gridlock. The groundbreaking signals improvements not only in reducing traffic congestion, but also for the region to support a growing community. Governor McAuliffe, Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne, and Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission Chairman Will Sessoms participated in the groundbreaking and spoke at the event, touting the improvement in reliable transportation and numerous other benefits this new project will provide for the neighboring communities. We agree that this project will improve the quality of life for Virginians and are proud to be a part of the team tasked with implementing this project.

Dewberry is the lead designer on the Shirley Contracting Company, LLC design-build team, the company contracted to build the first phase of the I-64 widening project. The $122-million first phase involves widening 5.6 miles of I-64 between Jefferson Avenue and Yorktown Road in Newport News with an extra lane and shoulder in each direction. With the goal of easing traffic congestion in mind, the road widening will occur in the median of I-64 for both the road improvements and the bridge widenings, and two travel lanes will be maintained in each direction during construction. This project is scheduled for completion by December 2017.


Center: Governor McAuliffe

Supporting a Growing Community

As we take the first steps in widening this critical roadway, we cannot help but take pride in the many ways this project will impact for the better the lives and livelihood of the region. We see this project as much more than fixing traffic congestion, although we look forward to this improvement for the 100,000 vehicles that travel this section daily. In expanding I-64, we are boosting traffic safety, making the region more attractive to live and work in. By widening I-64, we are also broadening accessibility to Virginia Beach during tourist season, strengthening the local economies. We also aim to help improve military operations by increasing reliability for our armed forces who use I-64 for shipping and transportation. We are also increasing economic opportunity for the region. By cutting down on traffic congestion, once the entire 21 miles are widened, we will increase business revenue through faster access to and from the Port of Virginia, an important economic driver for the region. And, we are enhancing community safety when we expand I-64, which serves as an emergency access point. Widening this access point means that in the event of a disaster, the region will be able to respond faster, potentially saving countless lives. Altogether, our team's work on improving I-64 culminates into a real, value-added investment for the community in the Virginia peninsula region, and we are proud to be the lead designer for the design-build team working on this project.