RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Tiffany Elliott Erbach 757-925-1660 tiffany.erbach@VDOT.virginia.gov Lauren Hansen 757-925-2583

HRO-73 Oct. 18, 2005

VDOT Opens Pinners Point Project in Portsmouth

A loud cheer could be heard though the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River on Tuesday, October 18 at 11 a.m. as Port Norfolk residents, daily commuters, and project crews gathered to celebrate the completion of the Pinners Point Interchange in Portsmouth. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), commuters, officials and locals cut the ribbon on the 2.5-mile interchange, two new bike paths and a recreational park for the community at a ceremony along the waterfront this afternoon.

Now substantially complete, the Pinners Point Interchange removes the majority of traffic from the historic Port Norfolk neighborhood, provides a more direct route for industrial traffic to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, and ensures easier access to the Midtown Tunnel, the busiest two-lane highway in Virginia.

The Pinners Point Interchange and Western Freeway Connector in Portsmouth is a three-directional interstate-type connection that joins the Virginia Route 164 Western Freeway to the Midtown Tunnel and the Route 58 Martin Luther King Freeway in Portsmouth.

When the project broke ground on March 15, 2002, it was the largest single road construction contract ever awarded by the Commonwealth of Virginia. An average of 28,000 vehicles travel this area per day with traffic volumes expected to reach 49,000 commuters and truckers over the next 20 years. With the project completion, Port Norfolk residents will see a reduction in traffic by more than 80 percent, industrial access to Portsmouth Marine Terminal will be smoother than ever before, and commuters will experience less congestion traveling through the area.

Following the ceremony today, crews will continue working during the overnight hours to install final overhead signage and traffic management equipment, including cameras, message boards, and loop detector technology. The cameras will allow motorists to get a glimpse of traffic throughout the interchange on VDOT’s website at www.VirginiaDOT.org. The system is expected to be complete by the end of the year.