I-64 Gap Project
Update: I-64 Gap Project gets funding
Virginia’s new budget for the fiscal year that starts 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 on June 22 - calling for a commitment of up to $470 million in state funds for the project:
· $210 million in the current fiscal year that ends June 30;
· $110 million in fiscal year 2024; and
· $150 million in fiscal year 2023 if there is a revenue surplus from the current fiscal year.
In addition to the state funding, the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) approved on June 17 a plan to commit $100 million to be used in a future year for the project.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) also has applied for a $150 million federal grant to also help complete the project. VDOT is expected to hear the award amount in late summer or early fall.
The project is expected to cost $750 million.
From a post in April 2022:
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.
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:
Drives economic growth:
Maximizes the impact of corporate investment:
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.
Maximizes the impact of the Port of Virginia:
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.
Supports Virginia tourism:
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.
Maximizes the opportunity to become a Global Internet Hub: 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.
Keeps America secure: 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.
Improves safety: 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.
Taps available resources: Virginia is experiencing an extraordinary opportunity with available state revenue.
We should use these resources to move forward with key “one-time” infrastructure projects like this.
Closes the I-64 Gap at the lowest cost: Waiting will only increase the overall construction costs. Road-building inflation is rising faster than general inflation. Now is the time to act to fully close the I-64 Gap.
Supports VDOT’s future grant applications: As part of the infrastructure act, the U.S. Department of Transportation is poised to award billions of dollars to transportation projects. The more state funding directed to closing the I-64 Gap, the more VDOT will have as matching dollars when applying for those grants.
Creates a fully-connected network: 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.
Support the I-64 funding project
To support fully funding the I-64 Gap Project, contact state lawmakers.
The General Assembly is currently discussing funding options. While any funding represents progress, we feel the time is now to take actions to completely close the gap and finish the I-64 widening project as planned.
The budget committee co-chairs can be reached at (with their emails):
Delegate Barry Knight: delbknight@house.virginia.gov
Senator Janet Howell: district32@senate.virginia.gov
Contact the budget committee members (with their emails):
Delegate Terry Austin: deltaustin@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Robert Bloxom: delrbloxom@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Emily Brewer: delebrewer@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Mark Sickles: delmsickles@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Luke Torian: delltorian@house.virginia.gov
Senator George Barker: district39@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Emmett Hanger: district24@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Mamie Locke: district02@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Louise Lucas: district18@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Steve Newman: district23@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Tommy Norment: district03@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Dick Saslaw: district35@senate.virginia.gov
