Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project

In a project ranked as one of the most promising for easing traffic congestion in the growing Hampton Roads region, Branch Civil teamed up with McLean Contracting Company, Bryant Contracting, and R.R. Dawson to complete the Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project in Chesapeake, VA.

The cornerstone of this project was the replacement of a steel drawbridge over the Elizabeth River which once opened as often as 16 times a day, causing severe traffic jams on a high-volume stretch of US 17.  The old moveable bridge was replaced with a 95 feet high fixed span.

Several other improvements marked this complex project, including the widening of a portion of Dominion Boulevard from two lanes to four lanes and the construction of seven additional onshore bridges between Cedar Rd. and the I-64/I-464 Oak Grove Connector Interchange.

While the City of Chesapeake wrestled with the challenges of funding the $345M project, contractors faced a variety of obstacles, including poor soil conditions and inconsistent strata during work over the Elizabeth River.  The project required an astounding five million vertical feet of wick drains and more than 600 ground improvement piles.  A multitude of value engineering proposals and design alternatives saved the city – which had to seek creative funding and borrowing solutions for the project – millions of dollars over the course of the four-year project.

Stormwater management, extensive utility relocations and continuous communication with the public and local businesses were important aspects of the Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget in late 2016.