The Virginia Department of Transportation said the nine-mile-long I-64 Southside Widening and High Rise Bridge project improved safety, mitigated congestion, reduced travel time, and added capacity to a key evacuation route for the Tidewater region of Virginia. The $525 million project also boosted the quality of life and fostered community development in the south Hampton Roads area by improving pedestrian and bicycle access on Great Bridge Blvd., improving maritime traffic due the 100-foot increase in elevation of the High Rise Bridge, and improving highway access for incident management vehicles. The design-build project widened the existing interstate from four lanes to six lanes, adding one High Occupancy Toll or “HOT” lane and two general purpose lanes in each direction. HOT lanes are available free of charge to high-occupancy vehicles while non-HOV vehicles can use the HOT lanes by paying a variable fee that is adjusted in response to travel demands. Most of the roadway and bridge widening took place within the median of the existing interstate, minimizing impacts to interchanges and surrounding right-of-way. The project’s new High Rise Bridge now carries westbound I-64 traffic over the southern branch of the Elizabeth River, replacing the previous bascule drawbridge and allowing for uninterrupted travel. With the addition of a second bridge, each now carries traffic in a single direction—a major safety improvement for motorists.