Now, be prepared for a slight change. This change will help accomodate water traffic. And drivers may have to do a little more planning now.

Starting Wednesday, March 10th, the scheduled lift times will still be in effect. But the Coast Guard will be able to request an opening 30 minutes past the first three scheduled Berkley Bridge lifts–at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The new changes will also allow the Berkley Bridge to open anytime for vessels carrying hazardous cargo.

This trial policy will run through September 3rd and will not apply to the 2:30 p.m. lift.

Cheryl Tan

And, it seems with the wet fall, AND the wet and cold winter, we just can’t get away from them.

These potholes are popping up EVERYWHERE!

We’re trying to do two things: locate the craters and get help trying to get them patched up, and we’re also trying to help you steer clear of these holes in the road.

Help us out first, though.

Send us the locations of the problematic potholes.

Click HERE to let us know where they exist.

Happy driving!

During this process, as you shovel the driveway or head to the store for the basics, take it easy!
Yesterday’s temperatures in the high 30’s made it possible for some melting to take place. You could hear the trickling of melting snow all over the area. I did, on my way to the store!

But overnight, temperatures dropped and many spots froze over again.

Black ice could be a big problem as you make your way out.

The bridges, overpasses and ramps are the spots where you need to be careful. Many neighborhoods and parking lots haven’t seen snowplows yet, so those are big hotspots. Also, VDOT is talking about a problem called snowdrifting where spots that have been plowed are seeing snow once again, all because of the winds.

Be careful and enjoy the snow!

And that means getting around could be a problem.

First of all, stay home if you can. I know you hear us say it all the time. But, it’s the weekend, and Jeremy is right now talking about a potential of icy conditions. Relax in the comfort of home.

We’re not the only ones saying this.
V-DOT is urging drivers to stay off the roads if they can. If you have to head out, the most important thing to remember is to take your time.

Know what you’ll encounter before you leave the house. We can help you with that. We have hundreds of live cameras here at wavy.com from the highways in Hampton Roads to give you an idea of what you’ll find before you get there. Slow down and increase that stopping distance–keep plenty of room between you and the car and front of you. I know, you’ve heard all of this before. It’s just a good time to remind you (and me, too) that we should all take it easy this weekend.

My kids are already talking about building snowmen. If we get the snow that is predicted, I know I won’t have to travel far to keep them entertained.

Be safe!

The November Nor’easter caused damage to the North Landing Bridge weeks ago and drivers have been out of luck.

I regularly get requests about this project, so here goes.

I checked in with the city of Chesapeake this morning. The Army Corps of Engineers is handling the actual repair, but some delays have occurred, which will impact the reopening of the roadway.

Here is the latest, straight from the city of Chesapeake website:

“The North Landing Bridge project is 85% complete. Some delays have occurred due to weather (heavy rain in November/December and unseasonably cold in January), but the contractors worked through the holiday to catch up.

We are looking at an anticipated re-opening date of January 22, 2010.”

Mark your calendars!
I know I will.

Have a great day, everyone!

***update***
It is January 22, 2010

The North Landing Bridge is supposed to reopen at 2 p.m. today.

We checked in with VDOT. Crews are already working to prepare the roads to prevent the pavement from icing over. Crews will also put salt and sand on bridges and overpasses on the Peninsula to keep the black ice away.

This is what Lauren Hansen with VDOT told us, “You will see pretreatment trucks out on the South side, on the interstates and in the rural portions of the district on Route 460, Route 58 Brunswick County to the Suffolk city line pretreating tomorrow before the storm actually hits.”

Honestly, we don’t get this kind of weather that often here in Hampton Roads. So here are some tips, just in case you do find yourself in a tricky situation over the next day or so.

*Braking on icy roads can take 4 to 10 times longer than on dry pavement. That makes accidents far more likely.
*With that in mind, watch your speed. Drive slower on icy roads and give yourself plenty of room to stop. *If you have anti-lock brakes, hold constant pressure, the brakes will release automatically. But if you don’t have anti-lock brakes, pump the brakes to keep traction on the road.
*The number one mistake driving on the snow and the ice: people try to break and to turn at the same time. Pick one or the other. Not both.

And, here’s what you can do now. Pack the car with what you’ll need in an emergency. Keep blankets, an ice scraper and a flashlight in the car.

Be careful!

A cold light rain is falling across most of the Hampton Roads cities at this hour…while snow is coming down in inland and northern parts of our area.

Later this evening, the wind will increase out of the east-northeast at 30-40mph. That stronger wind off the Bay and Ocean will bring in slightly warmer air and likely turn most of the snow back over to rain. Williamsburg & the Middle Peninsula are seeing accumulating snow…but likely turning back to a slushy mess late. For Virginia’s Northern Neck though, that’ll be tough to accomplish…snow will likely continue!

I do want to point out that MODERATE TIDAL FLOODING is likely tomorrow morning through the early afternoon. Tidal levels are expected in the 6′ to 7′ range. Last month’s Nor’easter was 7.75′…so this one will only be about 9″ to 12″ lower. Move your car!

-Don

10:45 PM:  BIZZY!

Again, Moderate Tidal Flooding tomorrow morning.

Snow continues from the Eastern Shore to the Northern Neck, southwestward to Gloucester, Williamsburg, then on to near Wakefield. In Southampton County, VA, the eastern edge of the snow has pushed westward just a bit in the past hour. As winds increase from the east and northeast, warmer air should get pushed farther inland…thus turning solid snow into a mix, then rain.

-Don

12:30 AM: As expected, winds have increased off the Ocean and Bay. Those winds have pushed some slightly warmer air westward…thus bringing a changeover to rain for areas hit by snow earlier.

From the Eastern Shore to the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, Williamsburg, and southwestward to Franklin…there is (or was) snow on the ground. That snow should mostly melt overnight with the 1″ to 2″ of expected rain.

As of this hour, winds are from the east to northeast gusting as high as 25 mph. Those winds will increase through the nighttime hours to 30-35 mph, gusting at times to around 45 mph. That kind of wind is enough to take out a tree here and there with the saturated soil that we still have throughout the region. Additionally, there could be a few power outages.

The strong winds will also coincide with the Saturday morning high tide (10:43 AM at Sewells Point). Tidal flooding is expected to be minor to moderate…about 5.5′ to 6′ above baseline. By comparison, the November Nor’easter topped off at 7.75′ above baseline. So the morning high tide will be around 1.25′ to 2.25′ lower than last month’s disastrous tide. Those figures are slightly lower than earlier expectaions. That’s still significant, though!! I say once again, Move your car!!”

Have a good night. Jeremy Wheeler will be with you during the morning hours. Cheryl Nelson and I will be back for the afternoon and evening hours (just in time for the light snow).

-Don

The highways, so far, haven’t been too bad, though. I’m crossing my fingers that that stays true! A little rain, of course, causes backups at the tunnels as well as accidents.

Skidding can be a problem.
And what’s the best way to avoid that issue? Slow down!!

Skids almost always occur when a vehicle is simply going too fast.

If you do find yourself in a skid, take your foot off the gas, or smoothly release any pressure on the brakes if already applied, and if you are driving a standard shift vehicle, disengage the clutch. Quickly turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front of the car to go (down the road). Basically, align the tires with the direction you want your car to go.

Tidal flooding will be a big problem with this Nor’easter. We always say this when tidal flooding occurs. We’re going to say it again. Don’t drive through standing water. You just don’t know how deep that water will go.

Here at Wavy’s studios in Downtown Portsmouth, we know the realities of tidal flooding all too well. We deal with what is affectionately called “Lake Wavy,” a growing pool of water right outside our building. Have workarounds planned, or the phone numbers of co-workers who can guide you in the right direction!!!

Do you know of any other areas that flood with high tide?

Be careful out there today!

I read “The Perfect Thanksgiving” and as well as the story behind “The Gingerbread Girl” to nearly 100 kindergartners.

Here’s a snippet of video from the day.
Enjoy!

VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) has a set schedule now, so that drivers will know ahead of time when they’ll have to put the car in park along I-264.

You see, the Berkley Bridge used to be an on-demand bridge, meaning anytime a sailing vessel came through, the bridge would go up and vehicle traffic would come to a stop.

Now, VDOT is testing a system where the opposite would be true. VDOT calls it “a result of a temporary deviation from the federal regulation governing bridge lifts across the downtown Norfolk harbor. The temporary deviation, issued by the Fifth United States Coast Guard District, allows VDOT to open the Berkley Bridge during scheduled times rather than on-demand.”

So here are the times and new rules: The I-264 Berkley Bridge will open on signal at 9 a.m., 11a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning the week of Monday, Oct. 19. The bridge will not open during these scheduled times when vessels have not signaled and are not waiting for passage. The bridge will continue to remain closed during commute periods, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except during federal holidays.

There is a catch and here it is: the bridge can open upon request during the restricted hours for a vessel with a draft of at least 18 feet if at least six hours of notification has been given.

The scheduled lifts will go through next March (2010).

Let us know what you think!