If you happened to be one of the thousands of drivers who got stuck in
between tunnels in Portsmouth last weekend this is probably too little
too late. With no real solution to the tunnel closure nightmare, not to
mention multiple ramp closures leading up to the eastbound tube along
I-264, the traffic higher-ups have decided that they are going to try
putting up a few extra signs. Leading to? You got it, another (more
expensive) toll bridge.
Tunnel detour plans change after weekend jamThe
Saturday afternoon traffic jam that stretched for miles into the city
prompted a change in detours for the next weekend closure of the
eastbound Downtown Tunnel.
The revised plan will direct more
vehicles to the tolled South Norfolk Jordan Bridge to relieve demand on
the Midtown Tunnel, said Lauren Hansen, a spokeswoman for Elizabeth
River Crossings, the company overseeing the tunnel work.
Representatives
from the Portsmouth Police Department, the state highway department and
Elizabeth River Crossings and its contractor met Monday to discuss that
and other changes after seeing the poor results from the first of what
will be many weekend closures of the eastbound Downtown Tunnel.
"It wasn't expected to back up throughout the city of Portsmouth," Hansen said of the Saturday traffic.
The
eastbound Downtown Tunnel will be closed every weekend beginning at 8
p.m. Friday through Sept. 7, except for Labor Day weekend, so crews can
remove ceiling tiles in the tunnel as part of a renovation project. More
full weekend closures are expected in the fall, but those haven't been
set
.
The revised detour plan begins with a different message
for drivers on southbound Interstate 664 who are headed toward Virginia
Beach. Electronic signs will say that I-264 East - rather than the
Downtown Tunnel - is closed, to help tourists better understand the
situation, said Susan Clizbe, a spokeswoman from the Virginia Department
of Transportation.
"If you weren't from here, it might have been
a little unclear what exactly they were talking about," she said of the
messages guiding drivers.
Interstate 64 and the High-Rise Bridge
will continue to be the primary detour. Motorists who continue onto
I-264 toward Norfolk will next be encouraged to exit at Portsmouth
Boulevard. There, they will be routed to the Jordan Bridge, a privately
owned toll road with no toll booths.
The bridge costs $1.50 for
E-ZPass users or $4 for those who pay by mail. The Midtown Tunnel costs
75 cents on the weekend for E-ZPass users or $2.25 for unregistered
plates - though the backup there on Saturday frustrated drivers for
hours.
The original detour plan - the one that resulted in 3
miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic from the Midtown Tunnel into downtown
Portsmouth - sent drivers from Portsmouth Boulevard to the Midtown
Tunnel. It mentioned the Jordan Bridge as an alternative route but did
not have signs indicating that.
Clizbe said representatives from the city of Portsmouth requested that more drivers be diverted to the Jordan Bridge.
Motorists
who don't exit at Portsmouth Boulevard will be forced to leave I-264 at
Effingham Street, where orange detour signs will also direct people to
the Jordan Bridge. Other signs within the city will point to the Midtown
Tunnel.
Hansen said the Crawford Street exit will also be closed
at the request of the city, to keep detouring vehicles from clogging
Olde Towne.
The detour plan will be reviewed again next week to see whether additional changes should be made, she said.
Article and image source: [pilotonline.com]For more in Hampton Roads traffic news and Hampton Roads tunnel closures, stay tuned to the home of your top
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