Closing the I-64 Gap

Widening a 29-mile stretch of Interstate 64 is a key initiative

Construction Update

Groundbreaking on the I-64 Gap Project was held on November 13, 2023.

The project will add a third lane in each direction on a 29-mile stretch of Interstate 64 – from the Bottoms Bridge exit in New Kent County to the Lightfoot exit near Williamsburg.

The widening project is an initiative that RVA757 Connects has advocated as it will increase capacity and mobility, alleviate congestion, improve safety, and enhance connectivity along the I-64 corridor.

The project will be completed in three segments. The entire project should be completed by May 2029.

Virginia Department of Transportation awarded a contract for the first segment on September 20, 2023

  • Segment A is from mile marker 205 at Bottoms Bridge to mile marker 215, which is slightly more than a mile from Courthouse Road (Exit 214) in New Kent County. Segment A is about 10 miles of the 29-mile project.

    For Segment A (as of May 2026, based on VDOT information):

    • VDOT awarded the contract on Sept. 20, 2023.

    • Groundbreaking: November 13, 2023

    • The completion date for Segment A is estimated to be July 2027.

    • Estimated cost of the project:

    $209.5 million

  • Segment C would be from the New Kent/James City County line to approximately 1.15 miles west of Route 199 (exit 234).

    VDOT estimates (as of August 2024):

    • The Request for Proposal (RFP) release date to be in the fall 2023.

    • The $174 million design-build contract was awarded on April 16, 2024.

    • Estimated start date: Fall 2024

    • Estimated completion date: November 2027

    • Estimated cost of the project: $208 million

    • Major work items included in the construction of segment C are: 

    • 9 miles of I-64 roadway widening and pavement rehabilitation

    • 2 bridge widening/rehabilitations (I-64 East/West over Six Mount Zion Road)

    • Paving the Lightfoot Park & Ride lot

    • Overhead signage and ITS systems

    • Sound barrier walls

    • Retaining walls

    • Storm drainage box culverts and pipes

  • Segment B would be the last segment. It would be from mile marker 215 in New Kent County to mile marker 225 in New Kent County.

    VDOT estimates (as of May 2026):

    • Construction started in early 2025

    • Construction is expected to be completed by May 2029.

    • Estimated cost $208.3 million

Groundbreaking ceremony on November 13, 2023 with Governor Youngkin and other officials.

VDOT Commissioner Stephen Brich provides details about the I-64 widening project.

Governor Glenn Youngkin said the !-64 Gap Project is important because it will fully connected the Richmond region and Hampton Roads - “and when we are fully connected, we can together move mountains.”

Key Benefits

Adding a third lane in each direction will help grow the economy, improve the environment, and provide equitable opportunities for all. Specifically, fully closing the I-64 Gap:

  • The I-64 Gap is already congested, especially in the summer, causing a significant loss of time for truckers, work commuters, and tourists.

    Our megaregion is in the process of creating entire new 21st century talent-attracting industries from off-shore wind to advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. Closing the I-64 Gap will support these new jobs, enabling workers and suppliers reliable access.

    Consider the recent announcement from AutoZone Inc., which plans to spend $185.2 million to establish an 800,000-square-foot distribution center in New Kent County, creating 352 new jobs on the I-64 Corridor. Trucks will need to use a congestion-free route on I-64 to transport products to and from the Port of Virginia and from the distribution center to stores on the East Coast. Bottlenecks and slowdowns can cause significant loss of time for truckers and workers. Adding a third lane in each direction will make a big difference.

  • Today, the Port supports 436,667 part-time and full-time jobs across Virginia and generates $2.7 billion in state and local taxes and fees. These numbers could grow dramatically.

    The port is doing everything necessary to become the U.S. East Coast’s leading gateway for global trade. Between 2015 and 2025, the port will have invested $1.5 billion (over $700 million from the General Assembly) in its infrastructure. By 2024, it will be the deepest port on the U.S. East Coast and two-way traffic for the largest vessels. 

    These attributes, combined with the fact that Hampton Roads is located within 40% of the U.S. population and has access to approximately 128 million consumers within one day’s drive, make it an ideal base from which to serve the large consumer and industrial markets located along the U.S. East Coast.

    As I-64 is the port’s driveway, fully closing the I-64 Gap can maximize the port’s economic impact.

  • In 2020, 84.4 million visitors spent $17.5 billion in Virginia, supporting 255,764 jobs in the state. I-64 is a major part of Virginia’s tourism infrastructure, providing access to the Historic Triangle (Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown), as well access to the Virginia Beach and Outer Banks oceanfront areas.

    Improving the connection alleviates congestion especially in the summer, helping to invite guests to come back and visit again.

    Fully closing the I-64 Gap will help support this growth as I-64 is one the Commonwealth’s key travel arteries.

  • On the eastern edge of our megaregion, subsea cables connect the U.S. to Spain, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and very soon to South Africa. These are the fastest, highest capacity routes in the world.

    On our western edge, in Henrico, Facebook has invested $2 billion in a huge data center campus. Henrico is also home to the world’s fourth largest internet integration center.

    All along the corridor, public and private sector players are expanding terrestrial and wireless network capacity.

    Our megaregion is on the way to becoming a Global Internet Hub. This designation will attract attention and, in turn, companies with high-paying tech jobs to our megaregion.

    But this growing employment base must be able to move around and connect hassle-free. This will happen when we fully close the I-64 Gap.

  • Richmond and Hampton Roads host the largest concentration of military installations and federal research facilities in the country, and reliable movement of people, equipment, and materials on I-64 is a part of the role Virginia plays in national security.

    That includes the largest Naval station in the world, NATO’s only North American command, as well as NASA Langley Research Center and the Department of Energy’s Jefferson Labs that employs over 3,000 people. Fort Lee in the Richmond region is home to $1.2 billion worth of new and expanded training and logistics schools.

    Fully closing the I-64 Gap will provide our military with the reliability they need to effectively and efficiently manage their key logistics.

  • I-64 serves millions as the primary evacuation route during a hurricane or other natural disasters.

    Fully closing the I-64 Gap will ensure the I-64 corridor is up for this important, and potentially life-saving task.

  • I-64 will work best when the entire Richmond-Hampton Roads system is built as planned, a network with three lanes in each direction. The 29-mile widening of the I-64 Gap is one of the final pieces to complete this network.

Funding Approved

Virginia’s new budget for the fiscal year that started July 1, 2022, pledges $470 million in state funds to complete the widening of Interstate 64 between Richmond and Williamsburg.

State lawmakers approved a state budget – and Governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law - calling for a commitment of up to $470 million in state funds for the project, which is estimated to cost $750 million.

In addition to the state funding, the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) approved in June 2022 a plan to commit $100 million to be used in a future year for the project.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) also received word in December 2022 that a $25 million federal grant had been approved for the project.

A big barrier stands in the way for the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions to realize their full economic potential.

That obstacle is the 29-mile stretch of Interstate 64 – from the Bottoms Bridge exit in New Kent County to the Lightfoot exit near Williamsburg – that still has two lanes in each direction. It is a section that transportation officials call the “I-64 Gap Project” or simply the “I-64 Gap.” 

This is the remaining I-64 segment between Richmond and Hampton Roads that’s still two lanes and, as a result, is a major chokepoint notorious for congestion and reliability issues that limits our economic opportunities.   

The corridor is a critical link between Richmond and Hampton Roads. Combined, these two areas are the 17th largest economic region in the US. 

Key to the future economic growth of this megaregion is enhancing the connection between these two areas - closing the GAP - by expanding capacity for people and goods, ensuring safety, enhancing accessibility for both employees and the general public, and finally, providing resiliency and the ability to adapt to and recover from changing climate conditions.