Look for some major closures this weekend, but the good news is the roadways won’t be shut down the entire time.

Tide gate testing is set for the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Saturday, May 19 from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. The Virginia Department of Transportation tests the tide gates at the I-64 HRBT every six months, generally prior to and just after the hurricane season.

Drivers should expect traffic stops of up to 30 minutes as each gate (I-64 EB & WB) is tested. During this test, the tide gates will be lowered and raised giving crews an opportunity to examine the functionality of the system and the roadway drain valves.

You can use the Monitor Merrimac as an alternate.

VDOT will also close the Interstate 264 Berkley Bridge, westbound only, Sunday, May 20, from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for grid-deck lock bar maintenance. Eastbound traffic is not impacted by the closure.

Detour signs will be in place during the Berkley Bridge closure, or you can take the Route 58 Midtown Tunnel as an alternate.

A weekend trip to Old Towne Portsmouth or Downtown Norfolk could be a nightmare in the coming weeks. VDOT is planning closures at the Berkley Bridge during some weekends in April, May and June.
It’s a pretty extensive bridge deck replacement project that will affect vehicle and boat traffic.
Here’s how it breaks down:

The I-264 WB lanes of the Berkley Bridge will be closed April 23-26 and April 30-May 3.
The I-264 EB lanes of the Berkley Bridge will be closed May 14-17 and June 4-7.

The most direct alternates are the Midtown Tunnel, Campostella Bridge and I-464.

We’ve been spoiled for the last few months. Drivers have been able to plan around the lift schedule at the Berkley Bridge. The lifts take place weekdays at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

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

If you have to cross the Berkley Bridge on a regular basis, no doubt you’ve gotten stuck, sometimes for many minutes, waiting for a ship to sail under.
Starting today, you may still be stuck, but at least you’ll be prepared for the wait.

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!