Interstate 64 (I-64) in the US state of Virginia runs east–west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, for a total of . From the West Virginia state line to Chesapeake, it passes through the major cities of Lexington, Staunton, Charlottesville, the state capital of Richmond, Newport News, Hampton, and Norfolk. It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel (HRBT), the first bridge–tunnel to incorporate artificial islands, concurrent with U.S. Route 60 (US 60). Also noteworthy is a section through Rockfish Gap, a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which was equipped with an innovative system of airport-style runway lighting embedded into the pavement to aid motorists during periods of poor visibility due to fog or other conditions.

Route description

Alleghany County to Charlottesville

I-64 enters Virginia as a four-lane divided highway, continuing its concurrency with US 60 through Covington into Lexington where the two routes split. From Lexington, I-64 then turns northward to Staunton, overlapping I-81 in the Shenandoah Valley. From Staunton, I-64 leaves I-81, passes through Waynesboro, crosses Rockfish Gap, and continues eastward, passing just to the south of Charlottesville, closely following the path of the historic colonial-era Three Notch'd Road, which had been established in the Colony of Virginia by the 1730s and was largely replaced in the 1930s by US 250. Just outside of Charlottesville in Zion Crossroads, I-64 received the state's first diverging diamond interchange at its interchange with US 15, which opened to traffic on February 21, 2014, and was completed on April 15, 2014.

Greater Richmond and the Virginia Peninsula After Charlottesville, I-64 then turns more east-southeasterly and heads toward Richmond, passing through Fluvanna, Goochland, and Louisa counties. After entering Henrico County and the Greater Richmond Region, I-64 interchanges and overlaps with I-95 on a stretch of highway which was a part of the former Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike, passing near Downtown Richmond and through the historic Black neighborhood of Jackson Ward. Once on the south side of Downtown Richmond, I-64 diverges from its concurrency with I-95 and continues southeasterly down the Virginia Peninsula through New Kent County and the Historic Triangle, into Newport News.

This portion of I-64 was set up by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) with a contraflow lane reversal system in place in the event of a mass evacuation of the Hampton Roads area region due to a hurricane or other catastrophic event. Gates are installed at the eastbound I-64 entrance and exit ramps from exit 200 (I-295) to exit 273 (US 60 east of the HRBT), and crossover roads are in place near the aforementioned exits.

Hampton Roads Beltway

About before the southern interchange with State Route 199 (SR 199), I-64 becomes a six-lane divided highway as it continues toward Hampton Roads. Shortly after entering its interchange with SR 173 (Denbigh Boulevard), I-64 enters the Hampton Roads metropolitan area and widens out to an eight-lane divided highway, continuing generally south-southeasterly into Hampton where it meets the northern terminus of I-664 beginning the Inner Loop of the Hampton Roads Beltway. I-64 curves north-northeast to pass north of Downtown Hampton and cross the Hampton River, turning back southward to reach the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel, which it utilizes to cross the main shipping channel at the entrance to the harbor of Hampton Roads from the Chesapeake Bay. Once on the Southside, I-64 turns south through Norfolk, passing the eastern boundary of Naval Station Norfolk and Chambers Field and the spur route supplying it, I-564. It then becomes a six-lane divided highway with a two-lane reversible roadway in the middle, which is used for HOV traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. It continues through Norfolk, curving multiple times and eventually ending up heading due south as it passes the interchange with another of its spur routes, I-264 on the northwest side of Virginia Beach.

After I-264, there are no more directional markers on I-64 from here to its "eastern" terminus because I-64 "east" will actually head west after its current southward course, and vice-versa. From I-264 to its "eastern" terminus, it is simply only signed as I-64 and either the Inner and Outer loop of the Hampton Roads Beltway.

Shortly after the I-264 interchange, I-64 leaves Virginia Beach for the city of Chesapeake. It soon comes to a complex interchange between another of its spur routes, I-464, along with US 17 and SR 168. I-64, now running westward, crosses the Southern Branch Elizabeth River using the High Rise Bridge. The road then curves northwesterly and ends at Bower's Hill, where it meets both the western terminus of I-264 and the southern terminus of I-664 near the northeastern corner of the Great Dismal Swamp. I-64's lanes continue northbound as I-664 to Newport News across the Monitor–Merrimac Memorial Bridge–Tunnel (MMMBT), ending at I-64 in Hampton, completing the beltway.

History

In early studies and proposals of the Interregional Highway System (the predecessor title of the Eisenhower Interstate System), I-64 was to use the US 250 alignment west of Richmond.Routes of the Recommended Interregional Highway System, ca. 1943National System of Interstate Highways, August 2, 1947National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, September 1955 However, in the late 1950s, a number of interested citizens, including Virginia Senator Mosby Perrow Jr., proposed that I-64 be realigned to run along US 220, US 460, SR 307, and US 360 from Clifton Forge via Cloverdale (near Roanoke), Lynchburg, and Farmville to Richmond. This southern route was favored by Governor J. Lindsay Almond and most members of the State Highway Commission.

The decision was on hold for three years while the state continued planning for the piece of the US 250 alignment from Richmond to Short Pump, which would be needed anyway to handle traffic. In 1961, US Secretary of Commerce Luther H. Hodges rejected that plan and chose the present route, leaving Lynchburg as the largest city in Virginia not served by an Interstate. Officially, the chosen route was considered more efficient. However, there is speculation that the decision involved "back-room" politics of the Kennedy administration. Construction of I-64 in Virginia began in early 1960s and completed by 1970s. The highway was finished throughout the state by 1977, Providing an Interstate connection across Virginia, from the West Virginia state to Hampton Roads.

Auxiliary routes I-64 has four auxiliary routes, all of which are in the Hampton Roads Area:

—A bypass route serving the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Downtown Norfolk, and most of Portsmouth. —A connector route serving the western side of Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Downtown Norfolk. It connects I-64 in Chesapeake to I-264 in Norfolk. —A spur route serving Naval Station Norfolk. —A bypass route serving Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton.

Both of the bypass routes are shorter than the main leg for through traffic—I-664 is about shorter than the bypassed main leg while I-264 is about shorter than the main leg it bypasses.

Accidents

On December 22, 2019, around 69 cars were involved in a pileup on I-64 westbound at the Queen's Creek Bridge near exit 238 (SR 143 east). 51 injuries were reported, including two life-threatening. Per reports, ice and fog were seen at that time.

Current and future projects

I-64 widening projects On the Virginia Peninsula, most of the I-64 corridor was a four-lane roadway and one of the most-traveled segments in the region, connecting the Hampton Roads metropolitan area to the Greater Richmond Region and I-95. In the 2000s, the corridor become a major bottleneck for traffic, with over half of the entire stretch having failing or near failing levels of service and continued increased safety concerns. In 2011, VDOT initiated a study that would consider widening the highway with either additional general purpose lanes in the median and/or on the outside shoulder, adding two-lane, fully reversible managed lanes (either as a tolled express lane or an HOT-lane facility) or the addition of full tolling on the entire span. The approved plan selected by VDOT and partners included the plan that added an additional general purpose lane in each direction by either expanding into the median or on the outside shoulder.

Three segments on I-64 have been identified as candidates for widening: The rural section of I-64 from I-295 near Richmond to the York County/James City County line, from the York County/James City County line to Newport News, and from Newport News to I-464/US 17/SR 168 interchange in Chesapeake to the Bowers Hill Interchange in Suffolk. Following the completion of all of these widening segments in summer 2029, the entirety of I-64 east of Richmond will consist of at least three lanes in each direction.

Richmond to Williamsburg

In the Richmond area, a project was undertaken to widen I-64 to six lanes from exit 200 (I-295) in Henrico County to exit 205 (Bottoms Bridge) in New Kent County. The project was managed by Corman-Branch, a joint venture at an estimated cost of $43 million (equivalent to $ in ). Construction began in August 2017 and was completed in summer 2019.

In the mid-2020s, the Virginia Department of Transportation commenced an effort to widen I-64 from four to six lanes from Bottoms Bridge to the York County/James City County line. This project is divided into three sections: Segment A – 10.7 miles from mile markers 204.9 (just west of the Bottoms Bridge exit) to 215.6 (just east of the New Kent Courthouse/Providence Forge exit). Construction commenced in Fall 2023, with expected completion in Summer 2027 at a cost of $209.5 million. Segment B – 8.7 miles from mile markers 215.6 (just east of the New Kent Courthouse/Providence Forge exit) to 224.3 (at the New Kent/James City County line). Construction started in early 2025, with expected completion in Summer 2029 at a cost of $208.3 million. Segment C – 9 miles From the New Kent/James City County line to approximately 1.15 miles west of Route 199 (exit 234). Construction started in Fall 2024, with expected completion in Fall 2027 at a cost of $174 million.

Virginia Peninsula

In June 2013, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) included $100 million (equivalent to $ in ) in funding for expanding I-64 in its Six-Year Improvement Program, allowing the project in North Hampton Roads to move forward into the design and build phases. The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) allocated an additional $44 million (equivalent to $ in ) to Segment I of the project to extend the boundaries beyond the Fort Eustis interchange. The project is broken down into three operationally independent segments, which are independently funded, designed and built by a different company. Segment I encompassed the portion of I-64 beginning west of SR 143 (Jefferson Avenue; exit 255) to just east of SR 238 (Yorktown Road; exit 247). Construction on this segment began in September 2015 and was completed December 1, 2017. It was managed by Shirley Contracting Company LLC at a total cost of $122 million (equivalent to $ in ). Segment II began west of SR 199 (Humelsine Parkway/Marquis Center Parkway) near exit 242 and ended east of SR 238 (Yorktown Road) near exit 247, where Segment I ends. Construction on this segment was managed by Alan Myers VA LLC and costed $138 million (equivalent to $ in ). Construction began in the autumn of 2016 and was completed in spring 2019.