FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
The City of Newport News is scheduled to begin a major construction project on Fort Eustis Boulevard March 18, which will impact traffic entering and exiting Fort Eustis for approximately 18 to 24 months.
The construction project involves the replacement of two bridges that cross the rail lines directly southwest of the Interstate 64 off-ramps onto Fort Eustis Boulevard. The bridges were constructed in 1956 and are considered functionally obsolete.
The south-side bridge, which carries traffic from Jefferson Avenue to Fort Eustis, will be demolished and replaced first. The first phase of construction will last seven and a half months, wrapping up in November.
Upon completion of the south-side bridge, the city will begin replacement of the north-side bridge, which is slated for completion in late May 2014. After the two primary construction phases, crews will accomplish a three-week median restoration project, scheduled for completion in mid-June 2014.
During construction, traffic will merge into one lane to cross the open bridge in a two-way traffic pattern. City crews will provide appropriate signage, flaggers and other communicative marking to manage the flow of traffic along the impacted stretch of roadway. The speed limit will be reduced to 35 miles per hour through the work zone.
As phase one is underway, the rerouting taper for traffic traveling westbound on Fort Eustis Boulevard will begin just east of Jefferson Avenue. The taper for eastbound traffic leaving Fort Eustis will begin at the eastern end of the reservoir bridge.
When phase two begins, all traffic will cross the newly-constructed northbound span. The traffic taper for westbound traffic will begin just west of I-64. The eastbound traffic taper will begin at the western end of the reservoir bridge.
Fort Eustis experiences peak traffic flow weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m., averaging 7,000 vehicles during the three-hour period. Personnel from the 7th Sustainment Brigade, Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters, 597th Transportation Bde. and 733rd Mission Support Group comprise 70 to 75 percent of vehicle traffic on and off the post.
To help mitigate traffic flow issues, Fort Eustis senior leadership is considering a series of measures to decrease peak hour traffic volume. Based on the Virginia Department of Transportation's traffic analysis, the 733rd MSG will direct major organizations to reduce vehicle commuting traffic by 1,750 vehicles.
These initiatives include, but are not limited to, "telework," the practice of working from home or another off-site location; flex-time scheduling, in which workers can customize their schedules by coming in early and working later or vice versa, and staggered reporting times. Soldiers and civilian employees should refer to their unit leadership for appropriate scheduling.
Service members and civilian employees are encouraged to coordinate traffic mitigation strategies with their chain of command to lessen the impact during high traffic commuting hours, and identify alternate travel routes which may ease traffic flow onto Fort Eustis.
The installation has made several improvements in the past six months to improve traffic flowing on and off post. For example, morning "Reveille" was moved to 5:30 a.m., eliminating traffic stoppage during the music. An improved force protection barrier plan, which dictates how security forces control access to the post, is also in development.
Commercial deliveries are prohibited on the installation prior to 8 a.m., streamlining gate access for commuters. Additionally, day contractors can only enter the post via Dozier Road, alleviating some vehicle load at the main gates.
During peak hours, additional gate security will help process inbound traffic control at the gates to speed up entry on post. Traditional concrete "Jersey barriers" were removed in favor of removable barriers, giving security personnel the flexibility to quickly adapt entry lanes to ensure maximum efficiency and driver safety.
Leadership from the 733rd MSG coordinated with Newport News city managers to synchronize and increase turn signal times, which will allow more vehicles to enter Gate 2. Also, the city built an additional turning lane to streamline outbound traffic at Gate 2.
Keith Morrow, the 733rd MSG deputy commander, said that while the construction project will definitely impact traffic in and out of the installation, the best way to avoid delays is to plan ahead. Plotting new routes to and from the post, carpooling and allotting extra time for travel are among his recommendations to alleviate congestion at the gates.
"We're doing everything we can to mitigate a negative traffic impact on the installation, but people living and working on Fort Eustis can help by doing a little back planning," he said. "For the first few days, we expect people to allow a little extra time for their commute to see what the situation will be like. Eventually, we'll fall into a routine where we know what to expect, and how to get where we're going on time."
EDITOR'S NOTE: To view or download a PDF version of the bridge construction information slides originally presented at the town hall meeting, visit http://www.jble.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130227-055.pdf.