Open house events to discuss future roads connecting Southside to Peninsula

Starting this week, the public will get an opportunity to learn more about plans for future road, bridge and tunnel connections between the Peninsula and Southside.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization is hosting a series of open house events where attendees will hear presentations on plans to improve travel and connectivity in Hampton Roads.

The connectors, five in total, are still in the early planning stages, and any construction to build them will not happen for at least a couple of decades, said Camelia Ravanbakht, the independent project coordinator for the Regional Connectors Study.

The connectors include separate projects and a proposed widening of Interstate 664 from Hampton to Chesapeake. One of the new segments would add a new entry point to the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial

Bridge Tunnel and connect it to roadways in Norfolk. Another segment would create a new Interstate 164 through Portsmouth that would connect the future marine terminal on Craney Island. Ultimately, the two new segments would also connect.

In 2018, the HRTPO kicked off the study, which is funded by the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission and looks at what road connections can be made by 2050. According to the organization, the study “focuses on Hampton Roads connectivity through the lenses of congestion relief, economic vitality, resiliency, accessibility and quality of life.” This includes several connectors between existing bridges and interstates.

The planning organization has already discussed potential projects with elected officials and stakeholders such as the Virginia Port Authority and the Navy, and also examined some “what-if scenarios” in regards to development and growth, Ravanbakht said.

“What if the region’s going to grow in urban areas?” she said. ”What’s going to happen to the roads? What if the region’s going to grow more in suburban areas?”

Currently, the study is in Phase 3, which includes public meetings, scenario testing and a traffic operations analysis, and a regional connectivity symposium. A segment evaluation will also review cost and construction complexity, permitting challenges, project readiness and congestion relief for the segments.

“We want to see which segment should move forward to the long range plan for the next step of the planning,” Ravanbakht said.

The open houses will also allow the public to express any concerns about the connectors, such as impacts to neighborhoods near where construction may occur.

“Say a community is right next to one of the segments. What would be the impact?” HRTPO Deputy Director

Pavithra Parthasarathi said. “What are some ways that we could address some of the impacts? Those are type of broad comments that the consultant team is looking for at this meeting.”

The open houses are being held at the following locations and times:

■ Newport News, 5:30-7:30 p.m Wednesday at 2510 Wickham Ave.

■ Norfolk, 5:30-7:30 p.m Thursday at 1251 W. 42nd St.

■ Portsmouth, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at 4934 High St. W.

■ Suffolk, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Virginia Department of Transportation Hampton Roads District Office at 7511 Burbage Drive

In the future, there will also be an opportunity at a virtual open house, in case some community members are not able to attend in-person meetings, and more information about the study can be found at https ://connectorstudy.org/.