The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in partnership with contractor E.V. Williams Inc., released a schedule for all remaining construction on the I-64 Coliseum Central Highway Improvement Project in Hampton.

The schedule is the result of a four-month review process between VDOT and the Virginia Beach-based E.V. Williams.

The new completion date of the project is Aug. 1, 2006, which was moved forward from December 2005.

Critical project milestones such as new ramps and flyovers will be completed sooner. The schedule factors in both actual construction time as well as potential delays caused by inclement weather.

“This is the first real schedule in the history of the project that commits to a set end-date and interim milestones,” said Hampton Roads District Administrator Dennis Heuer. “This updated schedule reflects additional work we’ve asked E.V. Williams to do, beyond what was included in the contract, and it provides a realistic timeframe for completing the project.”

The schedule also sets dates for the following project milestones:

• Access to I-64 east from Magruder Bridge — May 5, 2005

• Open I-64 west to three lanes from Cunningham Drive — July 7, 2005

• Power to new lights along mainline I-64 and ramps — Oct. 27, 2005.

“Including milestones in the updated schedule is a positive step forward for the job,” said Project Manager Tom Druhot. “This information will help us do a better job letting motorists know what changes they can expect and when to expect them.”

The schedule review was conducted over a four-month period in partnership between VDOT and E.V. Williams.

“We are committed to finishing this project as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said E.V. Williams’ President Tom Partridge. “We analyzed every element of this schedule before finalizing it and are confident that the project will be complete by Aug. 1, 2006.”

As required by Gov. Mark Warner’s financial reforms for large construction projects, VDOT and E.V. Williams are developing a detailed financial plan that will include a final budget for the project. The I-64 project will be managed to a budget and a schedule like other major projects in the state, including the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the Springfield Interchange and the Pinners Point Interchange.

Among the extra work requested of E.V. Williams was the unpredicted removal of thousands of feet of clay and soft soils throughout the project site. The poor soil would not have been able to support the weight of the new road and had to be replaced with more suitable material. Significant amounts of sheet piling also were added in areas where excavation operations were adjacent to active travel lanes and environmental control devices were placed near environmentally sensitive wetlands to protect them from project run-off.

VDOT Spokeswoman Tiffany Elliott said the cost of the project will increase, but they will not have a new figure until sometime this spring.

In addition to the revised schedule, VDOT also announced plans to improve public outreach to help keep motorists informed and ease congestion through the work zone during construction.

For more information, visit www.i64info.com

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