advertisement

---

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell yesterday announced that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and U.S. Navy signed a memorandum of agreement, which will enable work to begin on the Interstate 564 intermodal connector project on the grounds of a naval station in Norfolk.

The $169 million project calls for connecting I-564 through the naval base to Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) at the Port of Virginia. NIT is served by CSX Transportation, the Commonwealth Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway and the Bay Coast Railroad Inc.

The four-lane intermodal connector will include new bridges and overpasses, and exit and entrance ramps. The new road will decrease local highway congestion, redirect heavy truck traffic from area streets and provide improved access to the base, McDonnell said in a prepared statement.

"Extending this route between Interstate 64 and the port and through the Norfolk Naval Station is one more step my administration is taking to streamline the transportation network into and around the Hampton Roads region," he said.

The intermodal connector is part of a larger Navy Triangle-area improvement project. Ongoing upgrades to Hampton Boulevard will reduce street congestion and improve safety at the port's entrance after a rail crossing is removed at the intersection of Terminal Boulevard.

VDOT plans to seek design/build bids for the intermodal connector in the first quarter.