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Interstate 264 (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state
of Virginia
. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 (Hampton Roads Beltway
) near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel
under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River
into Norfolk. At the Interstate 464 interchange
in the Berkley
section of Norfolk, I-264 turns north, crossing the East Branch into downtown Norfolk on the Berkley Bridge
, one of a small number of drawbridges on the Interstate Highway System
. I-264 then heads east through Norfolk, crossing Interstate 64 at the east side of the Hampton Roads Beltway
, and into Virginia Beach, where it ends at Parks Avenue just short of the Atlantic Ocean. From this point, 21st and 22nd streets continue as a one-way pair
with no route designation to U.S. Route 60 (Pacific Avenue).
The original section of I-264, designated in the late 1950s, lies between the two I-64 junctions. The piece east to the Virginia Beach waterfront was built as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (a toll road
until 1995), and carried State Route 44 until I-264 was extended over it in 1999.
When I-64 was augmented in the 1990s with reversible HOV
lanes, I-264 towards Virginia Beach (then SR 44) was designated as the eastern terminus of the reversible lanes and one of the few direct exits from/entrances to the HOV lanes.
I-264 is a part of the National Highway System
for its entire length.
of Norfolk
and Virginia Beach, Virginia
. Until 1999, it was signed as State Route 44.
Built and funded with toll revenue bond
s, it opened on December 1, 1967 as SR 44. The Expressway ran from an interchange with Interstate 64
and Interstate 264 in Norfolk almost due east to the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach. The original road had 4 lanes (2 each way). It was widened to six lanes in the 1980s, and to eight lanes in the early 1990s.
While tolls existed, there were two toll rates, depending on whether or not you passed the main toll barrier between Rosemont Road and Independence Boulevard on your trip. If you exited before the main barrier or entered beyond it, you would need to pass a small row of automated, ungated toll collectors where you are supposed to pay the reduced toll. Attempting to drive past without paying would result in an alarm bell ringing. Police were instructed to stop motorists who attempted this if they saw it.
On June 1, 1995, the bonds were retired, and tolls and toll booths were removed in 1996. In July 1999, the former Virginia Beach Expressway was renumbered to I-264, effectively creating an eastward continuation of the original I-264, which ran through the downtown areas of Portsmouth and Norfolk and ended at I-64 (where the Expressway began). This is now the point where I-264 intersects and crosses the I-64 portion of the Hampton Roads Beltway
near Military Circle in Norfolk.
. I-664 is used to access US 13, US 58, and US 460, which all head west toward Suffolk
. I-264 heads northeast as a four-lane freeway into the city of Portsmouth, where the highway meets Greenwood Drive at a cloverleaf interchange
and SR 239
(Victory Boulevard) at a diamond interchange
where the Interstate expands to six lanes. The Interstate highway begins an unsigned
concurrency
with US 460 Alternate at a partial interchange with SR 337 (Portsmouth Boulevard), which allows access between I-264 toward Chesapeake and SR 337 toward Norfolk and between SR 337 toward Chesapeake and I-264 toward Norfolk. I-264 continues east through a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 17 (Frederick Boulevard) and a partial junction with Des Moines Avenue that allows access to and from the west.
I-264's final interchange in Portsmouth provides access to SR 141 (Effingham Street) in downtown Portsmouth; westbound I-264 traffic has ramps to and from Bart Street. This interchange, which also serves the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
, is where the Interstate reduces to four lanes and descends into the Downtown Tunnel under the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. I-264 surfaces in the city of Norfolk and immediately has an interchange with I-464, which heads south toward Chesapeake. The I-464 interchange also provides access to Berkley Avenue in the Berkley section of Norfolk. I-264 curves north as an eight-lane highway that crosses the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River on a drawbridge. At the north end of the drawbridge, the two directions of the Interstate temporarily split and have a series of ramps to Waterside Drive, St. Paul's Boulevard, City Hall Avenue, and Tidewater Drive at the eastern end of Downtown Norfolk. These streets provide access to Harbor Park
, a baseball stadium that is home to the Norfolk Tides
.
I-264 continues east as an eight-lane freeway between the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River to the south and the Tide Light Rail
tracks to the north. The Interstate has an interchange with US 460, SR 166, and SR 168, which head northwest toward downtown Norfolk as Brambleton Avenue and south across the river as Compostella Road. There is no access between Brambleton Avenue and I-264 toward downtown. East of US 460, the freeway passes to the south of Norfolk State University
and has a diamond interchange with SR 405 (Ballentine Boulevard). I-264 crosses Broad Creek and gains collector-distributor lanes for the next three, closely spaced interchanges. These junctions include a cloverleaf interchange with US 13 (Military Highway), a cloverleaf interchange with several flyover ramps at I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway), and a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 403 (Newtown Road). The middle carriageway of I-64 headed north, which has two HOV lanes, merges with both directions of I-264 heading east. I-264 enters the city of Virginia Beach at the Newtown Road interchange.
I-264 continues east as the Virginia Beach Expressway, an eight-lane freeway where the innermost lane in each direction is an HOV lane. The first two interchanges in Virginia Beach, a partial cloverleaf junction with SR 190 (Witchduck Road) and a cloverleaf interchange with SR 225 (Independence Boulevard), serve the Pembroke Area, which is the central business district of the city. Independence Boulevard also leads southeast toward Mount Trashmore Park, a reused landfill that is visible from the freeway, and further on towards the Virginia Beach Amphitheater and eventually the city's government center at Princess Anne. I-264 next has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Rosemont Road and a cloverleaf interchange with Lynnhaven Parkway, which leads to the Lynnhaven Mall
. The Interstate crosses London Bridge Creek, a tributary of the Lynnhaven River
, ahead of a crossover interchange that connects the freeway toward Norfolk with US 58 (Laskin Road) and US 58 Business (Virginia Beach Boulevard) toward the oceanfront. I-264's HOV lanes end and the highway reduces to six lanes ahead of the interchange with First Colonial Road north of Oceana Naval Air Station. The Interstate crosses Great Neck Creek and has its final interchange, a partial interchange with Bird Neck Road that provides an alternative route to the oceanfront, before approaching its eastern terminus. I-264's eastern terminus is at Parks Avenue just north of the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The carriageways continue east as a one-way pair, 21st Street eastbound and 22nd Street westbound, east to US 60 (Pacific Avenue) and Atlantic Avenue at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 (Hampton Roads Beltway
Hampton Roads Beltway
The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region of the same name in the southeastern portion of Virginia in...
) near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel
Downtown Tunnel
The Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk...
under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River
Elizabeth River (Virginia)
The Elizabeth River is a tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads harbor at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of the James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
into Norfolk. At the Interstate 464 interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
in the Berkley
Berkley, Virginia
Berkley was an incorporated town in Norfolk County, Virginia. Chartered by an Act of Assembly in 1890, the Town of Berkley was located directly across the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River from the City of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads area....
section of Norfolk, I-264 turns north, crossing the East Branch into downtown Norfolk on the Berkley Bridge
Berkley Bridge (Virginia)
The Berkley Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge across the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It carries Interstate 264, U.S. Route 460 Alternate, and State Route 337 across the river, connecting the Berkley neighborhood south of the river with downtown...
, one of a small number of drawbridges on the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
. I-264 then heads east through Norfolk, crossing Interstate 64 at the east side of the Hampton Roads Beltway
Hampton Roads Beltway
The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region of the same name in the southeastern portion of Virginia in...
, and into Virginia Beach, where it ends at Parks Avenue just short of the Atlantic Ocean. From this point, 21st and 22nd streets continue as a one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
with no route designation to U.S. Route 60 (Pacific Avenue).
The original section of I-264, designated in the late 1950s, lies between the two I-64 junctions. The piece east to the Virginia Beach waterfront was built as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
until 1995), and carried State Route 44 until I-264 was extended over it in 1999.
When I-64 was augmented in the 1990s with reversible HOV
HOV
HOV may refer to:* High-occupancy vehicle lane* Ørsta-Volda Airport, Hovden in Hovden, Norway* Hovig* A small street gang located in Naperville* see Hov...
lanes, I-264 towards Virginia Beach (then SR 44) was designated as the eastern terminus of the reversible lanes and one of the few direct exits from/entrances to the HOV lanes.
I-264 is a part of the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
for its entire length.
Original I-264
Originally, in 1960, I-264 was planned as an Interstate highway through downtown Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
Virginia Beach Expressway
The Virginia Beach Expressway (also known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway) was a 12-mile (19.3 km) limited access highway built to Interstate Highway standards extending between the independent citiesIndependent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. Until 1999, it was signed as State Route 44.
Built and funded with toll revenue bond
Toll revenue bond
A toll revenue bond is a financial promissory note usually issued to generate funds for the construction and/or operation of a public accommodation such as an expressway, bridge, or tunnel...
s, it opened on December 1, 1967 as SR 44. The Expressway ran from an interchange with Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
and Interstate 264 in Norfolk almost due east to the oceanfront area of Virginia Beach. The original road had 4 lanes (2 each way). It was widened to six lanes in the 1980s, and to eight lanes in the early 1990s.
While tolls existed, there were two toll rates, depending on whether or not you passed the main toll barrier between Rosemont Road and Independence Boulevard on your trip. If you exited before the main barrier or entered beyond it, you would need to pass a small row of automated, ungated toll collectors where you are supposed to pay the reduced toll. Attempting to drive past without paying would result in an alarm bell ringing. Police were instructed to stop motorists who attempted this if they saw it.
| Vehicle Type | Main Toll Barrier | Exit Before/ Enter After Barrier |
|---|---|---|
| Cars & and other two-axle vehicles |
$0.25 | $0.10 |
| Other Vehicles | $0.25 + $0.10/axle over two | $0.05/axle |
On June 1, 1995, the bonds were retired, and tolls and toll booths were removed in 1996. In July 1999, the former Virginia Beach Expressway was renumbered to I-264, effectively creating an eastward continuation of the original I-264, which ran through the downtown areas of Portsmouth and Norfolk and ended at I-64 (where the Expressway began). This is now the point where I-264 intersects and crosses the I-64 portion of the Hampton Roads Beltway
Hampton Roads Beltway
The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region of the same name in the southeastern portion of Virginia in...
near Military Circle in Norfolk.
Route description
I-264 begins at a full Y interchange in the Bowers Hill area of the city of Chesapeake. This interchange also serves as the eastern terminus of I-64 and the southern terminus of I-664, which together comprise the Hampton Roads BeltwayHampton Roads Beltway
The Hampton Roads Beltway is a loop of Interstate 64 and Interstate 664, which links the communities of the Virginia Peninsula and South Hampton Roads which surround the body of water known as Hampton Roads and comprise much of the region of the same name in the southeastern portion of Virginia in...
. I-664 is used to access US 13, US 58, and US 460, which all head west toward Suffolk
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
. I-264 heads northeast as a four-lane freeway into the city of Portsmouth, where the highway meets Greenwood Drive at a cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
and SR 239
Virginia State Route 239
State Route 239 is a primary state highway in Portsmouth, Virginia, United States. It runs along Victory Boulevard with both ends at State Route 337.-Major intersections:...
(Victory Boulevard) at a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
where the Interstate expands to six lanes. The Interstate highway begins an unsigned
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 460 Alternate at a partial interchange with SR 337 (Portsmouth Boulevard), which allows access between I-264 toward Chesapeake and SR 337 toward Norfolk and between SR 337 toward Chesapeake and I-264 toward Norfolk. I-264 continues east through a partial cloverleaf interchange with US 17 (Frederick Boulevard) and a partial junction with Des Moines Avenue that allows access to and from the west.
I-264's final interchange in Portsmouth provides access to SR 141 (Effingham Street) in downtown Portsmouth; westbound I-264 traffic has ramps to and from Bart Street. This interchange, which also serves the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
, is where the Interstate reduces to four lanes and descends into the Downtown Tunnel under the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. I-264 surfaces in the city of Norfolk and immediately has an interchange with I-464, which heads south toward Chesapeake. The I-464 interchange also provides access to Berkley Avenue in the Berkley section of Norfolk. I-264 curves north as an eight-lane highway that crosses the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River on a drawbridge. At the north end of the drawbridge, the two directions of the Interstate temporarily split and have a series of ramps to Waterside Drive, St. Paul's Boulevard, City Hall Avenue, and Tidewater Drive at the eastern end of Downtown Norfolk. These streets provide access to Harbor Park
Harbor Park
Harbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It has been rated the best minor league stadium by Baseball America. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International...
, a baseball stadium that is home to the Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
.
I-264 continues east as an eight-lane freeway between the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River to the south and the Tide Light Rail
Tide Light Rail
The Tide is a light rail line in Norfolk, Virginia, connecting Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State University, and Newtown Road. Service began on August 19, 2011....
tracks to the north. The Interstate has an interchange with US 460, SR 166, and SR 168, which head northwest toward downtown Norfolk as Brambleton Avenue and south across the river as Compostella Road. There is no access between Brambleton Avenue and I-264 toward downtown. East of US 460, the freeway passes to the south of Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:...
and has a diamond interchange with SR 405 (Ballentine Boulevard). I-264 crosses Broad Creek and gains collector-distributor lanes for the next three, closely spaced interchanges. These junctions include a cloverleaf interchange with US 13 (Military Highway), a cloverleaf interchange with several flyover ramps at I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway), and a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 403 (Newtown Road). The middle carriageway of I-64 headed north, which has two HOV lanes, merges with both directions of I-264 heading east. I-264 enters the city of Virginia Beach at the Newtown Road interchange.
I-264 continues east as the Virginia Beach Expressway, an eight-lane freeway where the innermost lane in each direction is an HOV lane. The first two interchanges in Virginia Beach, a partial cloverleaf junction with SR 190 (Witchduck Road) and a cloverleaf interchange with SR 225 (Independence Boulevard), serve the Pembroke Area, which is the central business district of the city. Independence Boulevard also leads southeast toward Mount Trashmore Park, a reused landfill that is visible from the freeway, and further on towards the Virginia Beach Amphitheater and eventually the city's government center at Princess Anne. I-264 next has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Rosemont Road and a cloverleaf interchange with Lynnhaven Parkway, which leads to the Lynnhaven Mall
Lynnhaven Mall
Lynnhaven Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. It opened in August 1981. At of gross leasable area, it is not only the largest mall in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of southeastern Virginia, but also one of the largest malls on the East Coast...
. The Interstate crosses London Bridge Creek, a tributary of the Lynnhaven River
Lynnhaven River
The Lynnhaven River is a tidal estuary located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the United States, and flows into the Chesapeake Bay west of Cape Henry at Lynnhaven Inlet, beyond which is Lynnhaven Roads. It has a small, developed watershed covering , terminating at Lynnhaven...
, ahead of a crossover interchange that connects the freeway toward Norfolk with US 58 (Laskin Road) and US 58 Business (Virginia Beach Boulevard) toward the oceanfront. I-264's HOV lanes end and the highway reduces to six lanes ahead of the interchange with First Colonial Road north of Oceana Naval Air Station. The Interstate crosses Great Neck Creek and has its final interchange, a partial interchange with Bird Neck Road that provides an alternative route to the oceanfront, before approaching its eastern terminus. I-264's eastern terminus is at Parks Avenue just north of the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The carriageways continue east as a one-way pair, 21st Street eastbound and 22nd Street westbound, east to US 60 (Pacific Avenue) and Atlantic Avenue at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Exit list
See also
- Norfolk-Portsmouth Bridge-TunnelNorfolk-Portsmouth Bridge-TunnelThe Norfolk–Portsmouth Bridge-Tunnel was a project to connect downtown Norfolk, Virginia, United States with downtown Portsmouth via a drawbridge over the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River and a tunnel under the Southern Branch...
- Berkley BridgeBerkley Bridge (Virginia)The Berkley Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge across the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It carries Interstate 264, U.S. Route 460 Alternate, and State Route 337 across the river, connecting the Berkley neighborhood south of the river with downtown...
- Downtown TunnelDowntown TunnelThe Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk...
- Berkley Bridge