RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Mary Suman 757-342-4716 tiffany.elliott@VDOT.virginia.gov Tiffany Elliott 757-925-1660

HRO-32 June 14, 2005

VDOT TO TEMPORARILY STOP TRAFFIC ON MERCURY BOULEVARD WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS

HAMPTON – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) plans to temporarily stop traffic on Mercury Boulevard in Hampton Wednesday and Thursday nights to install steel beams for the new I-64 bridge over the roadway. The bridge has been demolished and rebuilt in stages to allow the continued flow of traffic along I-64 during construction. When completed, this final portion of the bridge will allow travel in the far right lanes along I-64 westbound.

The delivery and setting of steel for the last segment of the bridge on I-64 over Mercury Boulevard will require temporary lane closures and some brief total traffic stoppages along Mercury Boulevard this week. On Wednesday, steel delivery trucks will arrive at the bridge around 5 p.m. Motorists in that area of Mercury Boulevard should be prepared for potential slowdowns while the trucks are safely routed off the main roadway. The trucking permit mandates that the trucks be positioned for off-loading during daylight hours.

A series of overnight total stoppages on Wednesday and Thursday will allow bridge crews to install the new steel. On Wednesday, crews plan three brief total stoppages of 20 minutes or less on Mercury Boulevard in both directions between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. On Thursday, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., four brief total stoppages of 20 minutes or less are planned. All work is weather dependent. Virginia State Police Troopers will assist with traffic control during the closures.

Once the steel has been installed, crews can begin the work that will eventually allow them to construct the roadway portions of the bridge.

The bridge work is part of the Coliseum Central Highway Improvement Project. For more information about the project or to sign up to receive weekly emailed updates on construction, please visit the project website at www.I64info.com.



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