VDOT, New Kent County leaders share solutions following I-64 exit concerns, shoulder paving underway

NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Following concerns over construction and repair work at Exit 211 on Interstate 64 in New Kent County, county leaders and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) shared this week that they have proposed solutions to alleviate some congestion in the area.

On Thursday, Nov. 20, Phillip Frazer, the resident engineer for the Ashland area with VDOT, confirmed that the department was working on paving the existing right shoulder on the I-64 West off ramp at Route 106 -- the Emmaus Church Road bridge -- to "improve operations and reduce queuing on the [interstate] ramp."

This would extend the right turn lane to Route 106 North that exists at the end of the ramp as of Nov. 21, according to Frazer.

New Kent County Supervisor Amy Pearson and New Kent County Sheriff Lee Bailey originally issued a joint statement on social media on Aug. 31, explaining that they have received complaints about Exit 211. 

“Please understand shutting it down completely poses an issue for public safety access to potential accidents/medical responses to local neighborhoods and the interstate,” Pearson said in the August social post.

During a Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, Frazer told the board and community members that the project must be completed in multiple phases. He said that the bridge -- built in 1972 -- is “structurally deficient” and does not have enough space to maintain two lanes of traffic at this time.

He further explained that a request to “do anything with the existing ramps” on I-64 and do something similar to what VDOT is doing on Route 106 North -- meaning taking advantage of the shoulders -- may not come to fruition.

Pearson encouraged VDOT to speak during similar county board of supervisors meetings in the future regarding massive projects such as the I-64 Gap Widening Project.

On Thursday, Frazer confirmed plans to pave the existing right shoulder on the I-64 West off ramp at Route 106, but said there were no plans to complete any work on the I-64 East ramp.

He shared that the bridge has one lane of traffic open with temporary traffic lights due to the I-64 Gap Widening Project. He previously told supervisors back in early September that this resulted in several delays and back-ups, particularly during peak hours — morning time, lunch time and evening hours.

Following Frazer's update at the September meeting, he, along with Pearson and the New Kent Sheriff's Office, said there have been fewer inquiries regarding the area compared to "the first couple of weeks when the temporary signal was first made operational," Frazer said.

"Our staff are still checking the intersection for those running the red lights," Bailey said. "It does appear the number of complaints has decreased, but we are still experiencing some issues there."

Bailey said from Sept. 1 to Nov. 14, the sheriff's office received 22 calls for service and three calls last week for service.

"The major issue is when someone runs a red light, we have vehicles meeting head-on in the middle of the overpass," Bailey told 8News. "I believe we had one minor crash that was reported, but that did not occur until the day after the crash."

Officials are urging county residents to call 911 or the non-emergency number at 804-966-9500 to report any incidents at the interchange.

The full project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027, while the existing right shoulder paving construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.