Virginia Route 168 is a part of a multi state highway leading south to U.S. 158 near Barco, North Carolina. SR 168, NC 168 and U.S. 158 join the Hampton Roads region with Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and U.S. 64 west to Manteo at the North Carolina Outer Banks.
The Great Bridge Bypass doubles as the T. Ray Hassell III Memorial Highway. The freeway opened north from Battlefield Boulevard near Hanbury Road to a half built cloverleaf interchange with Battlefield Boulevard at Oak Grove in 1981.
Opened in 2000, the Oak Grove Connector extended the freeway along SR 168 north from the Great Bridge Bypass to I-64/464 beyond Dominion Boulevard (U.S. 17 / former SR 104). Continuing 6.4 miles south from the Great Bridge Bypass, the tolled Chesapeake Expressway opened on May 23, 2001.1
The Chesapeake Expressway cost $116 million overall to construction over a two year period. A portion was built by the City of Chesapeake with assistance from state and federal funds. Tolls cover the costs of a $21 million bond issue that financed the project.2
Plans for the Chesapeake Expressway originated 30 years prior. Obtaining funding for the road was difficult for officials in the 1970s, and when federal, state and city money was finally in place, environmental regulations slowed the permitting process. The City of Chesapeake eventually planned to build the road under a public-private partnership in 1998. However with local contractors threatening to file lawsuits against the city since the project was not opened up for competitive bid, that plan was cancelled.1
Work commenced on the limited access highway in Summer 1999. Hampered by heavy rain from both Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd, further problems arose when Driggs Corp., the contractor building the northern section, filed for bankruptcy in January 2001. Contractors working on two other sections completed work in April 2001, and with the help of dry weather, Driggs finished most construction in May 2001.1
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| SR 168 expands from a five lane commercial boulevard into a four lane, divided highway north from the North Carolina state line and North Point Boulevard. The first confirming marker stands beyond the intersection with Neck Road. 12/17/01 |
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| Old Battlefield Boulevard spurs south from SR 168 at the intersection with Station Road to Ballahack Road and the community of Northwest. Ballahack Road leads west to the Naval Support Activity Norfolk Northwest Annex and U.S. 17 at Dismal Swamp. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 Business branches northwest from SR 168 along Battlefield Boulevard while SR 168 shifts onto the Chesapeake Expressway. 08/24/09 |
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| The Chesapeake Expressway main line toll plaza lies west of St. Brides in Chesapeake. 08/24/09 |
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| The original toll plaza was expanded with three cash lanes on the outside. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) and SR 168 (Chesapeake Expressway) converge at a half diamond interchange (Exit 5) north of Indian Creek Road. 12/17/01 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) loops east from the Chesapeake Expressway at Exit 5 to the community of Hickory. 08/24/09 |
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| Hillcrest Parkway meets SR 168 (Chesapeake Expressway) at a parclo interchange (Exit 8) between Edinburgh Parkway and SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard). 08/24/09 |
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| Opening up previously undeveloped land to the west for commercial development, Hillcrest Parkway was built at the same time of the Chesapeake Expressway. 08/24/09 |
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| Advancing north into Great Bridge SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) switches sides with the Chesapeake Expressway again ahead of Exit 10 for Hanbury Road. 08/24/09 |
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| The original Great Bridge Bypass separated from Battlefield Boulevard at a wye interchange south of Exit 10. The six-ramp parclo interchange with Hanbury Road was constructed as part of the Chesapeake Expressway. 12/17/01 |
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| The loop ramp for Hanbury Road west at Exit 10A was added later. Hanbury Road heads west to Battlefield Boulevard and Johnstown Road in Great Bridge. Etheridge Manor Boulevard extends east through suburban areas to Centerville Turnpike. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 (Great Bridge Bypass) passes between the Coopers Creek Manor and Kensington Chase subdivisions beyond this confirming marker posted north of Exit 10. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 165 follows a 40.72 mile circuitous route around Hampton Roads through portions of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Norfolk. SR 165 (Mt. Pleasant Road) stems 0.75 miles east from SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) to a parclo interchange (Exit 11) with SR 168. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 (Great Bridge Bypass) spans the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal (ICWW) north ahead of Exit 12 for SR 190 (Kempsville Road) east at Oak Grove. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) meets SR 168 for the fourth time at a cloverleaf interchange adjacent to SR 190 (Kempsville Road / Great Bridge Boulevard) in Oak Grove. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 190 forms a 15.43 mile long loop from SR 166 (Bainbridge Boulevard) in Chesapeake to SR 225 (Independence Boulevard) in Virginia Beach. 08/24/09 |
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| Exit 12 was added after 2001. Previously there was no direct access to SR 190 (Kempsville Road) from the Great Bridge Bypass northbound. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 (Great Bridge Bypass) continues two miles from SR 190 (Kempsville Road) to the exchange with I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway), I-464 and U.S 17 north. 08/24/09 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) continues another 2.99 miles north from Exit 13A to SR 168 at I-64 along a heavily developed commercial arterial. 08/24/09 |
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| Exit 13B loops onto SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) south to SR 190 (Great Bridge Road) west at Oak Grove and back into Great Bridge. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) parallels SR 190 (Great Bridge Boulevard) northwest to Oak Grove Lake. 07/28/13 |
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| Travel times aid tourists returning northward from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to I-64 west from Hampton. 07/28/13 |
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| U.S. 17 converges with SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) northeast at Exit 15B, ahead of the cloverleaf interchange with I-64/464. U.S. 17 was realigned eastward onto Dominion Boulevard (former SR 104) from the Dismal Swamp Canal in December 2001. 08/24/09 |
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| U.S. 17 continues from the Oak Grove Connector (Chesapeake Expressway) onto I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway) west to George Washington Memorial Highway at Exit 296. 07/28/13 |
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| Exit 15A takes SR 168 east from the Oak Grove Connector around the directional T interchange (Exit 15B) with U.S. 17 (Dominion Boulevard) directly onto I-64 east ahead of Battlefield Boulevard. Providing a direct route north to I-264 between Downtown Portsmouth and Norfolk, I-464 begins in one half mile. 08/24/09 |
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| Regional traffic headed to Williamsburg and Richmond is directed onto I-64 west to Interstate 664 north across the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel. 07/28/13 |
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| U.S. 17 (Dominion Boulevard) angles southwest along a limited access expressway to the tolled Veterans Bridge spanning the Elizabeth River Southern Branch. U.S. 17 crosses the North Carolina line in 16.97 miles en route to Elizabeth City. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 (Tidewater Drive) north at the grade separated intersection with SR 165 (Little Creek Road) near Denby Park in Norfolk. SR 170 formerly overlapped with SR 165 west from Military Highway to Admiral Taussig Boulevard (I-564). 04/13/01 |
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| Exit 15 partitions from SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) south just beyond the exchange with I-64/464 to U.S. 17 (Dominion Boulevard) toward Elizabeth City, North Carolina. 12/30/17 |
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| Exit 15 also connects SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) and I-464 south with adjacent SR 190 (Great Bridge Boulevard). 12/30/17 |
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| SR 168 continues south along the Oak Grove Connector to the Great Bridge Bypass. Collectively the city of Chesapeake references these sections of SR 168 as part of the Chesapeake Expressway. 07/28/13 |
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| Exit 13B links SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) south with parallel SR 190 (Great Bridge Boulevard) west of SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) at Oak Grove. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) continues 3.66 miles south from SR 168 (Great Bridge Bypass) at Oak Grove into the community of Great Bridge. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 190 arcs northward 8.38 miles along Kempsville Road from SR 168 Business at Oak Grove to SR 165 (Princess Anne Road) at Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 190 (Great Bridge Boulevard) runs 3.73 miles northwest from SR 168 Business to SR 166 (Bainbridge Boulevard) by the Crestwood neighborhood in Chesapeake. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) enters a cloverleaf interchange with SR 168 (Great Bridge Bypass) north of SR 190 (Kempsville Road) at Oak Grove. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 shifts west of SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) along the Oak Grove Connector north to I-64, I-464 and U.S. 17 north. 07/28/13 |
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| SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) north concludes at a cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 64 (Hampton Roads Beltway) where SR 168 rejoins Battlefield Boulevard north to Edmonds Corner. 09/05/10 |
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| SR 190 (Great Bridge Road) connects SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector) south with SR 168 Business (Battlefield Boulevard) south from Oak Grove into the community of Great Bridge. 07/28/13 |
Sources:
- "Toll Road to N.C. Ready for Traffic After More than 30 Years and the Chesapeake Expressway, which Officials Hope Will Alleviate Traffic to and from the Outer Banks, Opens on Wednesday." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA), May 22, 2001.
- "Chesapeake Expressway Set to Open - Road to Cut Travel Time to Outer Banks." Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA), May 20, 2001.
Connect with:
Interstate 64
Interstate 464
U.S. 17
U.S. 60
Page Updated 04-15-2021.
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