The Bowers Hill interchange is a large interchange complex where the
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 ...
intersects with
Interstate 264 (I-264) as well as
Military Highway
Military Highway is a four-to-eight-lane roadway built in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, USA during World War II. Carrying US 13 for most of its length, it also carries US 58, and US 460 while in Chesapeake. It is a major alt ...
, which carries the three U.S. Highways. It is named for the unincorporated community surrounding it,
Bowers Hill, Virginia
Bower's Hill is a community located in the independent city of Chesapeake, Virginia (formerly Norfolk County) in the United States. It is located in the South Hampton Roads region at the northeastern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp, an area consi ...
, which itself is a part of the
independent city
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
of Chesapeake.
History
The first portions of
I-264 Interstate 264 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 64:
*Interstate 264 (Kentucky), a bypass of Louisville, Kentucky
*Interstate 264 (Virginia)
Interstate 264 (I-264) i ...
were opened beginning in 1964 and in 1966 were completed from Bowers Hill to the western approach to the
Downtown Tunnel
The Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 (Virginia), Interstate 264 (I-264) and U.S. Route 460 Alternate (Chesapeake–Norfolk, Virginia), U.S. Route 460 Alternate (US 460 Alt.) crosses the Southern Branch Elizabeth River, Southern B ...
in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
.
I-64
Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange w ...
, the region's major east–west artery, was built through the area beginning in the 1960s. The of I-64 between
U.S. Route 460 (US 460) at Wards Corner in Norfolk and Bowers Hill in Chesapeake was completed in 1969. To reach the eastern terminus of the Interstate Highway at Bowers Hill, eastbound I-64 was built in a westerly direction for its final . By 1970, Bowers Hill had two Interstate Highways, and three arterial highways.
An additional crossing of
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
, to supplement the
James River Bridge
The James River Bridge (JRB) is a four-lane divided highway lift bridge across the James River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Owned and operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation, it carries U.S. Route 17 (US 17), US 258, a ...
and the
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
* Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
*Hampton, Victoria
Canada
*Hampton, New Brunswick
*Ham ...
, was a long-sought highway improvement in the area. A north–south roadway between Bowers Hill and the Churchland area was also wanted. Planning for what became
I-664
Interstate 664 (I-664) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Virginia. The Interstate runs from Interstate 64 in Virginia, I-64 and Interstate 264 (Virginia), I-264 in Chesapeake, Virginia, Chesapeake north to I-64 in Hamp ...
began as early as 1964.
One of the more recent portions of the Interstate Highway System to be built in Virginia, I-664, was completed in April 1992. The highway connects Bowers Hill with
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
*Hampton, Victoria
Canada
*Hampton, New Brunswick
*Hamp ...
. I-664 includes the
Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel across Hampton Roads between the independent cities of
Newport News
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
and
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
.
Major overpasses were built in conjunction with I-664, and its junction with the other highways required the demolition of the original overpass and interchange. A similar bridge to the original overpass remains nearby on Military Highway, crossing the now-abandoned
Virginian Railway
The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads.
History
...
bed.
Description
There are three main roads that make up the Bowers Hill Interchange: Airline Blvd from the northeast, the Hampton Roads Beltway from the north and the south, and Military Highway from the west and southeast.
The eastern terminus of
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange w ...
meets the southern terminus of
Interstate 664
Interstate 664 (I-664) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Virginia. The Interstate runs from I-64 and I-264 in Chesapeake north to I-64 in Hampton. I-664 forms the west side of the Hampton Roads Beltway, a circumferent ...
to continue the Hampton Roads Beltway. Because of the way the I-64 terminates—it is heading westerly, but is technically I-64 East, VDOT dropped all directional signs west of I-264 in Virginia Beach. Because of this, I-664 South and I-64 West traffic is called the Outer Loop. I-64 East and I-664 North is the Inner Loop. The eastern terminus of I-264 also meets in the same location to create a full
Y-interchange.
I-264 traffic must exit northbound for the Inner Loop or the Outer Loop. Inner Loop traffic either exits left to continue on the Inner Loop or exits right to head eastbound on I-264 towards Portsmouth and Norfolk. Traffic on the Outer Loop north of I-264 will either continue on the Outer Loop, or exit left for I-264 East.
At the intersection of the Hampton Roads Beltway and concurrent routes of
U.S. 460,
U.S. 58 and
US 13
U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...
, the roads meet in a partial cloverstack interchange. Outer Loop traffic (southbound I-664) will exit on Exit 13A for U.S. 13 South, U.S. 58 West and U.S. 460 west, and use Exit 13B for the exact opposite (US 13 North, US 58 East and US 460 East). Inner Loop traffic (northbound I-664) will use a single ramp to access all of the U.S. Routes. At the conclusion of the
Elizabeth River Tunnels Project
The Elizabeth River Tunnels Project, a series of transportation projects in the South Hampton Roads region of Virginia, comprises the rehabilitation of the Downtown and existing Midtown Tunnels, the construction of a new parallel Midtown Tunne ...
however, U.S. 58 will no longer exit via the cloverstack interchange. Instead, it will share a concurrent route with I-264 eastbound until it interchanges with the
MLK Freeway in Portsmouth.
Military Highway
Departing Suffolk, eastbound Military Highway traffic:
* Heading on the Inner Loop (I-664 N) or onto U.S. 58 East will utilize a left exit from Military Highway. Beltway traffic will use a right cloverleaf ramp to enter the beltway; Route 58 east and U.S. Route 460 Alternate east continue straight onto Airline Boulevard; U.S. Route 13 traffic turns right and continues on W. Military Hwy.
* Heading eastbound on I-264, or on the Outer Loop (I-64 West), or US-13 will utilize a right ramp, with all traffic technically merging onto the Outer Loop. I-264 traffic will exit to the left for exit 15A and U.S. 13 and Outer Loop traffic will exit at 15B. U.S. 13 traffic will then exit two miles later at exit 297 for Military Highway (signed for U.S. 13 / U.S. 460)
Departing Chesapeake, westbound Military Highway traffic headed on the Inner Loop (I-664 N) will use a right ramp to enter the beltway. Traffic headed for the outer loop, or I-264 will continue straight onto a clover loop exit to the Outer Loop. All other traffic (U.S. 13, U.S. 460) will continue straight to merge with U.S. 58 and continue westward.
Military Highway is the only route that will allow one to access the all directions of the interchange.
{{Transportation in the Hampton Roads Region
Transportation in Chesapeake, Virginia
Interstate 64
U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 58
Beltways in the United States
Road interchanges in the United States