VDOT updates New Kent residents on Exit 211 bridge project following ongoing concerns

NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The ongoing construction of a congested exit along Interstate 64 in New Kent County has resulted in multiple complaints from community members. During a Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, a spokesperson with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) offered an update and explanation.

During a Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, VDOT Ashland Resident Engineer Phillip Frazer gave an update and explanation of the I-64 Gap Widening Emmaus Church Road Replacement Project and the adjustments that have been made to alleviate traffic issues in the Exit 211 area.

This comes after New Kent County Supervisor Amy M. Pearson and New Kent County Sheriff Lee Bailey issued a joint statement in a social post on Aug. 31, where they explained that they have received complaints about Exit 211, with the intention of scheduling a meeting with the department to “discuss possible solutions." According to Frazer, that meeting took place last week.

As a result, these concerns have led the New Kent County Sheriff's Office to receive multiple concerns from community members and request an explanation at the Monday meeting.

Frazer broke down the key issues in an FAQ for community members, highlighting the reasoning behind both the widening project on I-64 as well as the decades-old bridge replacement on Emmaus Church Road.

Per Frazer, the bridge has one lane of traffic open with a temporary traffic light, resulting in several delays and back-ups, particularly during peak hours -- morning time, lunch time and evening hours.

According to Frazer, 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. As a result, they implemented the traffic lights.

“The Emmaus Church Road Bridge is structurally deficient and is beyond simple maintenance,” Frazer said. “Structurally deficient absolutely does not mean that the bridge is unsafe. It needs to be made very clear that the bridge is structurally deficient, but that does not mean that it is unsafe for use.”

Per Frazer, drivers can follow alternate routes, which are Route 60 and Route 249, and the New Kent Sheriff's Office will continue to monitor those areas.

Frazer emphasized that the work is primarily being done at nighttime hours, but said that community members will be able to see more activity "at some point."

"Whenever you're demoing a bridge, you don't do it over live traffic," Frazer said. "We have two lanes of live traffic on I-64, and the last thing we're going to do is shut down a lane of traffic on I-64 during the middle of the day because we have our high volumes."

"Hindsight is 20/20," Pearson said, acknowledging that this meeting should have occurred before the project even began. "I would like to apologize to the citizens of District 3 that I did not think to have [VDOT] come out before now and explain this whole process and what it was likely going to entail."

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

"We know that with the gap widening, we've always had some crash issues on I-64 with two lanes of traffic and a lot of congestion," Frazer said. "That's why we're doing the project in the first place."

According to Frazer, 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, and take advantage of the shoulders, may not come to fruition.

"It's something I don't have the ability to do with state forces," Frazer said. "It's something that is outside of the limits of disturbance and the permitting of the I-64 Gap Project. We have some complications on doing any of that kind of work."

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

The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027.