News Flash

Oct. 18, 2019 — Public Works officials have adjusted the traffic lanes on Settlers Landing Road heading toward eastbound I-64 downtown, based on feedback from police and the public. 

Traffic cones still separate the right lane — for Hampton University and eastbound I-64 — and the left lane — for through drivers and those headed for westbound I-64. However, at the entrance to Hampton Harbor Shops and Apartments, the right lane splits into two: the far right, for access to HU and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the middle lane, for eastbound I-64.

The pattern initially was changed in August to try to keep traffic moving over the Settlers Landing Road. When both of the lanes on the bridge are at a standstill, police and fire and rescue vehicles can’t get through, as there is no shoulder on the bridge.

Public Works will be replacing replace the temporary cones with more permanent poles, or bollards. They will also paint stencils for directions on the roadway. 

Backups on Interstate 64 eastbound into the two-lane tunnel clog traffic. It has worsened, officials believe that much of the congestion isn’t caused by people originated their trips near downtown. Instead, drivers sitting in clogged interstate traffic often try to skip ahead by taking other routes and then getting back on the interstate, often guided by traffic apps.

The longer-term solution to the underlying problem of interstate backups is the expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Initial work — surveying and soil samples — have begun by VDOT. The work is expected to finish in 2025.