A sampling of Virginia’s major road projects in 2026

HAMPTON ROADS

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project

The largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history is expected to be substantially complete by February 2027. The $3.9 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion will widen the four-lane segments of the 9.9-mile Interstate 64 corridor between Norfolk and Hampton to six lanes on land and eight lanes under the water, using twin two-lane tunnels. The project contractor is Hampton Roads Connector Partners, a joint venture led by Dragados USA.

Mary, a $70 million custom-built tunnel boring machine, made her breakthrough at the South Island on Sept. 24, 2025, completing the project’s second bored tunnel after roughly 11 months. By January, workers had disassembled Mary and were cleaning and preparing components of the machine for transport back to the German manufacturer.

Work to connect the south trestle bridge with the new and existing tunnels will continue in 2026, as will demolition work on the existing eastbound and westbound trestle bridges. Crews will also wrap up work on the new westbound north trestle bridge this year.

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

Interstate 64 improvements

The roughly $716 million I-64 Widening Project will widen 29 miles of roadway in New Kent and James City counties from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. The expected completion for the overall project, divided into three independent sections of I-64, is summer 2029.

Segment A runs from just west of the Bottoms Bridge exit to just east of the New Kent Courthouse-Providence Forge exit. This year, workers will complete inside widening work and shift traffic on the estimated $225 million project.

The segment includes Exit 211, where Buc-ee’s is planning to open a mega travel center. VDOT is in the early stages of a separate project to create a diverging diamond interchange at the exit and anticipates completion by the end of 2029.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY/ ROANOKE AND NEW RIVER VALLEYS/ SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Interstate 81 improvements

The $4 billion Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Program, expected to be completed in 2035, includes more than 65 projects along 325 miles from Winchester to Bristol. Projects are in varying stages and include adding truck climbing lanes and extending merge lanes in many interchanges.

One larger project getting underway is an 8.7-mile widening of I-81 in Roanoke and Botetourt counties that will add a third northbound and southbound lane beginning near Exit 143 and ending about 2 miles past Exit 150. The project, estimated to cost $479 million, includes replacing eight bridges and installing more than 8,500 feet of sound barriers along northbound lanes. Construction started in summer 2025 and is expected to end summer 2031.

Coalfields Expressway

The proposed Coalfields Expressway — U.S. Route 460/121 — is slated to run through Southwest Virginia (for about 50 miles) and southern West Virginia, boosting commerce and tourism.

An approximately $200 million, 2.74-mile portion of the CFX opened in Buchanan County in October 2025, bringing the total completed expressway mileage in Virginia to 4.95 miles. VDOT expects an additional 2.07 miles, costing about $207 million, to open in late 2027.