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CHESAPEAKE/NORFOLK – Starting March 17, at 5 a.m., high-occupancy tolling operations are scheduled to begin full-time along the I-64 Hampton Roads Express Lanes segments in Chesapeake and Norfolk, offering more travel options and travel time reliability.
With high-occupancy tolling, Express Lanes offer expanded travel choices for motorists driving alone, who are now provided the option to use the free general-purpose lanes or choose to pay a toll for each Express Lanes segment with a standard E-ZPass transponder or an E-ZPass Flex switched to “HOV-Off.” For vehicles with two or more occupants, the Hampton Roads Express Lanes remain free with a required E-ZPass Flex transponder switched to “HOV-On.”
Following the month-long, free introductory period for motorists to familiarize themselves with the newest I-64 Express Lanes opened Feb. 18, between the I-664/I-264 interchange in Chesapeake to the I-264 interchange in Norfolk, high-occupancy tolling will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week, requiring an E-ZPass transponder for all vehicles using these lanes.
In conjunction with the start of tolling in the Chesapeake Segment of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes (HREL), the existing I-64 Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes, located between the I-264 and I-564 interchanges, will also transition to full-time, continuous high-occupancy tolling operations, further extending the benefits of improved travel time reliability and additional congestion management over 21 miles of I-64. While the new full-time tolling operations schedule differs from the previous operations during weekday peak-travel periods in the Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes, the option for all motorists to continue using the free general purpose lanes in both HREL segments remains the same.
As with current practice on the I-64 Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes, toll prices for each Express Lanes segment are based on current traffic conditions and adjust approximately every 5 minutes, helping to manage congestion and improve traffic flow in both the general purpose and Express Lanes. When congestion rises in the Express Lanes, toll prices increase to reduce the number of vehicles in these lanes, aiming to manage traffic flow and maintain travel time reliability. In contrast, decreased traffic volume in the Express Lanes leads to reduced toll prices, promoting smoother traffic flow and encouraging usage of the lanes.
HREL toll revenues stay local and will be managed by the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission (HRTAC) to support tolling system operations and maintenance costs, the development of the Express Lanes network, and continued interstate improvements in Hampton Roads.
The Chesapeake and Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes will ultimately become a part of an overall continuous 45-mile Express Lanes network on I-64 from the Bowers Hill interchange in Chesapeake to Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News. As traffic demand continues to increase in the region, incorporating the Express Lanes high-occupancy tolling model provides an additional approach to managing congestion in the long term and providing a more reliable travel network.
The HREL network is made possible thanks to the partnership between VDOT, HRTAC, and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) as part of a collective pursuit to relieve traffic congestion along I-64, ensuring a smoother commute for years to come.
For more information on the Hampton Roads Express Lanes network and operations, visit www.64expresslanes.org/drive.
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