Project Facts

New Bridge / Road Details

  • Dominion Bridge RenderingA new 95-foot-high, fixed-span, four-lane bridge replaced the two-lane moveable Steel Bridge.
  • The roadway as widened from two lanes to four lanes from Grassfield Parkway to I-64.
  • Interchanges were constructed at Cedar Road, Bainbridge Boulevard/Dominion Lakes and Great Bridge Boulevard
  • A fully automated system will collect tolls using E-ZPass or toll-by-plate.

Map & Directions

Dominion Boulevard Map

From the North: Take I-464 S (accessible from I-264 or I-64) and follow signs for Chesapeake. Continue onto VA-168 S. Use right two lanes to take Exit 15B toward U.S.-17 S/Elizabeth City.

From North Carolina: Take U.S.-17 North toward Virginia. Continue on U.S.-17/George Washington Highway S which becomes Dominion Boulevard

From Route 168/Oak Grove Connector: Take VA-168 to Exit 15B towards U.S.-17 S/Elizabeth City.

Construction Sequence

  • Construction began January 2013.
  • The northbound span over the Elizabeth River was opened to traffic in December 2014 and was dedicated as the Veterans Bridge.
  • The Steel Bridge was demolished in January 2015.
  • Four lanes from Grassfield Parkway to I-64 were opened to traffic in November 2016.
  • Tolling began at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, February 9, 2017.
  • The project was completed ahead of schedule.

Tolling

  • Tolling began 12:01 a.m. Thursday, February 9, 2017.
  • A toll system testing period began in early November 2016 and was completed in February 2017.
  • Tolls will pay for maintenance and operation costs for the road as well as repayment of bonds and loans. Tolls are essential to the project because transportation funds from traditional sources are lacking.
  • Tolls will be collected electronically by E-ZPass or toll-by-plate. E-ZPass provides the cheapest, most efficient option.
  • The toll rate will increase by 5% every fiscal year. See the multi-year toll rate for all classes of vehicles.

Funding

  • The Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project is 100% funded through a combination of bonds, loans and federal and state funds - there will be no private investment partner associated with the project. Chesapeake will be the sole owner.
  • Costs are as follows:
    • Project capital costs: $345.2 million
    • Refinancing of Expressway bonds: $19.3 million
    • Interest, Debt Service and other Fees (see note): $34.9 million
      • Note: The interest and fees for the project could be compared to the interest and fees paid by homeowners on their mortgage.
  • Funds will come from the following sources:
    • Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank Loan: $151.9 million
    • Toll Revenue Bonds: $158.5 million
    • State and Federal Funds: $85.8 million
    • Existing Reserves and Earnings: $3.1 million

Benefits of Roadway Improvement

  • Enhanced safety due to less congestion, fewer stops and better access
  • No bridge openings
  • No stop lights between Grassfield Parkway and the interstate
  • Four lanes of traffic with interchanges
  • Improved hurricane evacuation route
  • Faster public safety response times

Construction by the Numbers

  • Approximately 10 miles of utilities have been relocated
  • 400,000 cubic yards of excavation
  • 1.2 million cubic yards of embankment fill
  • 5.8 million linear feet of wick drains
  • 50,000 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete
  • 2,000-plus precast concrete piles (157,500 linear feet - over 30 miles)
  • 66,400 linear feet of precast concrete beams (over 13 miles)
  • 245,000 square feet of Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls (retaining walls)
  • 26,000 square feet of sound barrier
  • 1,000 linear feet of box culvert (650 cy)
  • 36,000 linear feet of Reinforced Concrete Pipe
  • 8 million pounds of reinforcing steel

Roadway History

  • In 1990, the daily traffic count on Dominion Boulevard was 18,000 vehicles. It's grown to 33,000 vehicles today, making it one of the most heavily traveled two-lane roads in Virginia.
  • The Steel Bridge lifted up to 6,000 times each year, or an average of 16 times a day. With an average of 10 minutes per lift, the bridge was closed to road traffic for the equivalent of 42 days each year.
  • The current roadway has a high accident rate.
  • A Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization study ranked the Dominion Boulevard improvements as the top project in the region in terms of its ability to reduce congestion and improve safety.

Chesapeake Transportation System

  • The improved Dominion Boulevard and the existing Chesapeake Expressway together form the Chesapeake Transportation System (CTS).
  • The CTS operates as a single facility, with operations combined to reduce redundancy and overhead.

Project Presentations & Documents


Project Maps

  1. Full Project Corridor (PDF)
  2. Bainbridge-Dominion Lakes Boulevard Interchange (PDF)
  3. Bridge Over S. Branch Elizabeth River (PDF)
  4. Cedar Road Interchange (PDF)
  5. Dominion Boulevard at Grassfield Parkway (PDF)
  6. Dominion Boulevard Corridor (PDF)
  7. Great Bridge Boulevard Interchange (PDF)
  8. Plan Revisions to West Cove Connector and Finck Lane since the Public Hearing of Sept. 08 (PDF)
  9. South of Cedar Road (PDF)