WELCOME!
The City of Chesapeake welcomes you to the Virtual Citizen Information Meeting for the proposed Chesapeake Ave. Area Drainage and Utility Improvements project. A Virtual Citizen Information Meeting is an opportunity for the public to review the ongoing development of project information.
This informational meeting is being held to provide an opportunity for any person, acting on his or her own behalf, or representing a group or a governmental agency, to give the City his or her comments and/or suggestions concerning the proposed project after reviewing the project information.
This Citizen Information Meeting is presented 100 percent virtually due to the ongoing impacts of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The City of Chesapeake has and continues to work diligently to continue providing vital services to residents while prioritizing the safety of residents and City staff. A Virtual Citizen Information meeting allows us to provide important project information and welcome feedback while adhering to established social distancing and safety protocols.
CLICK HERE TO LEAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT
PURPOSE OF PROJECT
Portions of the existing drainage, water, and sanitary sewer infrastructure within the historic district of South Norfolk are beyond their serviceable lifespan and are causing flooding and maintenance issues. Adverse pipe slopes, damaged structures, maintenance issues, non-standard pipe connections, and lack of drainage infrastructure in some locations produce frequent street and nuisance flooding.
The proposed drainage improvements will upgrade and realign the stormwater systems along Guerriere Street, Chesapeake Avenue, Ohio Street, Rodgers Street, Jefferson Street, and Stewart Street. The existing channel between Jefferson Street and Park Avenue will be re-graded for positive flow and improvements will be made to the outfall at Stewart Street and Park Avenue. The proposed drainage improvements will eliminate flooding by adequately conveying the 10-year storm flows and will provide drainage relief for areas currently lacking any drainage infrastructure.
Excessive maintenance has been required on the existing sanitary sewer main lines on Chesapeake Avenue, between Guerriere Street and Jefferson Street, on Ohio Street between Jackson Avenue and Rodgers Street, on Rodgers Street between Ohio Street and Jefferson Street, on Jefferson Street between Jackson Avenue and Rodgers Street, and lastly at the intersection of Park Avenue and Stewart Street. Inspection of these sewer mains indicate severe deterioration and the need for replacement. The proposed sanitary sewer improvements will replace the deteriorated sanitary sewer mains and service laterals in order to provide more reliable sanitary services to its users and less maintenance expenses to the City.
The existing water mains located on Ohio Street between Seaboard Avenue and Chesapeake Avenue, and on Jefferson Street between Chesapeake Avenue and Decatur Street, have reached the end of their service life and need replacement. The proposed improvements will replace these lines and their service laterals. A new water line will be installed along Guerriere Street to create an alternate loop in the water system for the area. The proposed waterline improvements will provide a more reliable water system for its users.
PROJECT DIAGRAM
Click the images below to view a high-resolution version of each diagram.
Figure 1A: OPTION 1 Overall Project Exhibit

Figure 1B: OPTION 2 Overall Project Exhibit

Figure 2A: Pavement Sheet 1 Exhibit

Figure 2B: Pavement Sheet 2 Exhibit

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
• This project is a joint effort between the Department of Public Utilities and the Department of Public Works.
• The proposed drainage improvements will include new stormwater pipe, manholes, curb inlet structures, and box culverts along Guerriere Street, Chesapeake Avenue, Ohio Street, Rodgers Street, Jefferson Street, and Stewart Street. The existing channel between Jefferson Street and Park Avenue will be re-graded and improvements will be made to the outfall structure at Stewart Street and Park Avenue.
• Permanent public drainage easements will be acquired for the drainage structure improvements at both ends of the existing channel between Jefferson Street and Park Avenue, and at the outfall improvements at Stewart Street and Park Avenue.
• The proposed sanitary sewer improvements include replacing approximately 2,300 feet of gravity sewer mains and their service laterals on Chesapeake Avenue, between Guerriere Street and Jefferson Street, on Ohio Street between Jackson Avenue and Rodgers Street, on Rodgers Street between Ohio Street and Jefferson Street, on Jefferson Street between Jackson Avenue and Rodgers Street, and at the intersection of Park Avenue and Stewart Street.
• The proposed waterline improvements include replacing approximately 1,800 feet of water mains and their service laterals on Ohio Street between Seaboard Avenue and Chesapeake Avenue, and on Jefferson Street between Chesapeake Avenue and Decatur Street. A new water line will be installed along Guerriere Street to create an alternate loop in the water system for the area.
• The pavement material used in the restoration of roadways within the project limits is being considered in two options; In-Kind and Concrete. The pavement material option that is selected will be influenced by the majority of citizen feedback from this citizen information meeting.
• The two roadway pavement restoration options are:
- Option 1 – In-Kind Pavement Restoration: The roadway pavement within the construction limits is restored with the same pavement material that is currently on the roadway surface. For example, asphalt pavement is replaced with asphalt pavement and concrete pavement is replaced with concrete pavement. The roadway pavement is restored either by patching, patching and mill and overlay, or full depth pavement replacement. In-Kind pavement restoration allows for the full extents of the project to be constructed because of the lower material and installation costs of asphalt pavement. The proposed asphalt pavement has a projected design life of 20 years. Please see Figure 1A, 2A and 2B of the project exhibits for the extents of the Option 1 – In-Kind Pavement Restoration.
- Option 2 – Concrete Pavement Restoration: The roadway pavement within the construction limits is restored with concrete pavement. The roadway pavement is restored either by patching or full depth pavement replacement. The use of concrete pavement restoration reduces the project limits and the extents of the project improvements that can be constructed because of the higher material and installation cost of concrete pavement. The restored concrete pavement has a projected design life of 30 years. Please see Figure 1B of the project exhibits for the extents of the Option 2 – Concrete Pavement Restoration.
• All curb, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and entrances impacted by construction will be replaced in kind.
• New ADA-compliant curb ramps will be installed at corners affected by construction.
• The existing brick pattern stamped concrete crosswalks and sidewalks along Chesapeake Avenue that are impacted by the project will be replaced with a similar and consistent color and pattern.
• The existing granite curbs along Chesapeake Avenue will be salvaged and reinstalled where they are affected by construction operations. Impacts to the existing granite curb will be avoided as much as possible.
• Traffic will be maintained during construction by a combination of partial and full roadway closures completed in a block-by-block manner. Detour routes will be provided for full roadway closures. Residents and businesses will have access to their properties at all times.
• Construction of the project will be divided into two phases:
- Phase 1: The southwest, or downstream, portion of the project will extend from the intersection of Jefferson Street and Rodgers Street to the outfall improvements at Stewart Street and Park Avenue. The limits of Phase 1 are outlined in green in Figure 1A of the project exhibits.
- Phase 2: The northeast, or upstream, portion of the project will extend from the intersection of Jefferson Street and Rodgers Street to the improvements at the intersection of Guerriere Street and Seaboard Avenue. The limits of Phase 2 are outlined in blue in Figure 1A of the project exhibits.
NOTE: The limits of the construction phases and the overall project limits will ultimately be determined by the outcomes of this citizen information meeting, the 90% design completion cost estimate, and the construction costs received by bidding contractors.
DRAINAGE EASEMENTS
The road improvements will require some property acquisition for easement purposes. Currently there are seven parcels affected by the project. Prior to the easement acquisition process and construction, all required easements will be shown on the plans.
City Representatives will be able to review questions regarding easement acquisitions via the comment form on the meeting website or in response to mailed comment forms.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
-
Design Completion
- Phase 1 Late 2022
- Phase 2 Spring 2023
- Begin Land (Right-of-Way) Acquisition
- Phase 1 Summer 2022
- Phase 2 Late 2023
- Advertise for Construction
- Phase 1 Spring 2023
- Phase 2 Fall 2023
NOTE: Project timelines are tentative and subject to change.
PROJECT BUDGET
Budget: $4.2 million
(Public Works Budget: $3.6 million / Public Utilities Budget: $616,797)
Project costs are preliminary and subject to change depending on final design features, inflation, utility relocation and right-of-way costs.
The public comment period will close on TBD. City representatives will review and evaluate any comments received as a result of the Citizen Information Meeting.