Virginia
U.S. 17 will be expanded to four-lanes in Virginia to connect the existing four-lane section in North Carolina with the Norfolk freeway network. Scott Kozel writes that VDOT should complete the environmental study and be ready to hold a public hearing on the new route by the end of 2000, and if things go smoothly, the new four-lane road should be under construction by August 2002.
From a Virginian-Pilot article ("U.S. 17 expansion back on track with less-damaging route") from December 15, 1999, the long-awaited expansion and relocation of U.S. 17 is back on track following the state's agreement to consider a more easterly route that would have less impact on the sensitive wetlands of southwestern Chesapeake. The decision ends a months-long bureaucratic impasse that had bogged down the much-needed and widely supported improvement of a ten-mile stretch from Dominion Boulevard to the North Carolina border.
At an estimated $35 million, the new route would cost the state about $9 million more than rebuilding the road along its current path, as the state had originally proposed. But it would be farther away from the Great Dismal Swamp and damage a smaller portion of less sensitive wetlands.
According to the article, Virginia promised North Carolina more than 15 years ago that it would improve and widen U.S. 17, which -- with its narrow, dark and windy lanes -- is considered one of the most dangerous roads in Chesapeake. Based on that agreement, North Carolina widened its portion of the road as far as the border in 1984. Budget problems, however, delayed the project on the northern side of the border. Under pressure from North Carolina, Virginia began resuscitating the project in 1990 with the infusion of more than $21 million.
With this improvement, there is no longer an impetus for Corridors 13 and 25 (U.S. 17 and Virginia State Route 168) to connect. There are no plans to connect these two corridors in any manner, especially given the sensitive ecological concerns in the area. As John Lansford notes, "U.S. 17 is a major route that serves coastal North Carolina from the north to the south. In North Carolina it's part of our Intrastate System, which provides a good four-lane road to carry people to destinations outside their own county. Virginia 168 and North Carolina 168 at the border serve one group of people: those heading to the Outer Banks."
Steven Harrell writes that U.S. 17 is being upgraded in North Carolina, but the U.S. 17 expansion in Virginia was not always on track:
Although U.S. 17 in North Carolina is just short of Interstate quality (about five or six interchanges between Elizabeth City and the NC/VA line) all attempts by North Carolina to get Virginia to improve U.S. 17 north of the state line have failed. Virginia and North Carolina had a deal to improve their sections of the route at the same time, that was 20 years ago. Last month a meeting was supposed to be held between local North Carolina officials, NCDOT, VDOT, and local Virginia officials. Although the meeting was well publicized and very official, VDOT and the Virginia officials failed to arrive.
North Carolina is building its expressway to the North Carolina-Virginia State Line on the U.S. 17 corridor. Virginia, as you have correctly mentioned, is building [a separate] freeway about ten miles east, along the High Priority Corridor 25, the Virginia State Route 168 bypass. You are right in assuming that Virginia 168 (the Chesapeake Expressway) will be Interstate-quality from its junction with Interstate 464 (in downtown Norfolk) to the North Carolina-Virginia State Line. However, the new section will have two stoplights where it merges with the current Virginia State Route 168 to cross the VB-Albemarle canal in lieu of the funds for a high-rise bridge."
The problem is clear: Virginia and North Carolina's plans [were] inconsistent! The City of Chesapeake (Virginia is a commonwealth, and therefore the state allows its cities to decide big projects) absolutely refuses to even widen U.S. 17 in Virginia for political reasons. [Steve eloquently told me that residents of Chesapeake do not care much for their neighbors to the south; he later wrote me to tell me that North Carolinians also get upset with their neighbors to the north too.] The City of Chesapeake insists on building Virginia State Route 168 as it is a major corridor for Virginians wanting to get to North Carolina beaches.
There is hope, however. Virginia 168 will end due north of Elizabeth City. A short connection can be made between it and the new freeway in Elizabeth City. However, this connection would need time and local support to be passed.
Since Steven wrote the above, plans have been publicized about VDOT's expansion of U.S. 17. Now the expressway segments of Corridor 13 in North Carolina will indeed link to a similar network in Virginia.
Norfolk Intermodal Connector
According to Scott Kozel, a new highway called the Intermodal Connector is planned in Norfolk, Virginia. It would connect Interstate 564 to the portions of the Navy Base and the nearby marine terminals that presently don't have a direct connection with Interstate 564. Interstate 564 is the 2.8-mile-long Navy Base Spur that connects the central and northern parts of the Navy Base with Interstate 64 and the rest of the national Interstate highway system. Although this planned connector is not necessarily part of either Corridor 13, it is in the same region and may be partially federally funded.
Mr. Kozel indicates that the highway will be "about a mile long, and run east-west about halfway between east-west Admiral Taussig Boulevard and east-west International Terminal Boulevard. It wasn't stated here, but presumably the highway would be limited access with four to six lanes. It would parallel the railroad line into the north end of Norfolk International Terminals near Sewells Point. It would start at a new direct connection off of Interstate 564, and cross Hampton Boulevard near Greenbrier Avenue, passing between the Glenwood Park neighborhood and the Navy base."
For more information, please read the The Virginian-Pilot article, "Rift between state and Navy puts highway on hold" dated July 7, 1999.
Page Updated June 9, 2002.
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