Witchduck Road Improvements

Background

Witchduck Road is a major artery between Virginia Beach Boulevard and I-264, carrying over 53,000 cars per day. Prior to construction, the roadway was over capacity, congested, and prone to safety issues. Unsignalized and offset intersections, an insufficient number of lanes, and inadequate pedestrian facilities created unsafe conditions for foot and vehicular traffic alike. The City of Virginia Beach planned for an expansion of the roadway to improve both traffic flow and overall safety.

Challenge

Accommodating traffic flow involved widening Witchduck Road from four to six lanes, including widened outside lanes for bicycle traffic, streetscaping, and improved pedestrian facilities. The roadway provides a vital link for the community, connecting I-264 and Virginia Beach Boulevard; traffic had to be maintained at all times. In addition, the city desired all utilities to be relocated underground, which required a major effort among all utility stakeholders.

Solution

Woolpert provided multiple services for this project, from preliminary engineering through construction administration. The project team collected existing traffic data and collaborated with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to project 2028 traffic volumes. These preliminary efforts determined that Witchduck Road needed the following changes:

• Roadway widened to six lanes
• Number of intersections reduced
• Traffic signal system updated
• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities improved for the community, including access to the Housing Resource Center

Woolpert worked with the city and other stakeholders to develop and analyze four different alternatives for the reconstruction of Witchduck Road. The preferred alternative widened the road to six lanes, eliminated multiple intersections, and modified traffic patterns to improve traffic flow along Witchduck Road. Southern Boulevard was realigned to create a signalized intersection at the I-264 on-ramp, and a new road was designed to connect Mac and Price Streets to Southern Boulevard. These improvements required significant right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation. Extensive utility coordination efforts, including a meeting of all utility owners at Woolpert’s Chesapeake office, reduced conflicts and scheduling issues during construction when the existing utilities were relocated into the underground duct bank.

The reconstruction and widening of Witchduck Road required modification of the existing dual trunk storm sewer system, and construction of a regional BMP. Woolpert’s national experts assisted the City through this process; the properties on the west side of Witchduck Road were purchased for the creation of the regional BMP. The large BMP improved existing stormwater runoff conditions and prevented reconstruction of the existing system.

Additional design elements included existing pavement evaluation, curb and gutter installation, sanitary sewer modifications, watermain relocations, street lighting, extensive temporary traffic control, parking lot modifications. and landscaping.

Outcome

The project provided the necessary reconstructions and additions to accommodate additional traffic flow along Witchduck Road, which is critical to the regional transportation network as a result of the I-264 flyover ramp that connects Greenwich Road to Cleveland Street. These improvements also allow easier access to the Housing Resource Center. Notably, Woolpert won an American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Award in January 2023 for our work on this project.

Benefits

• The reconstruction of the Witchduck corridor provides the City of Virginia Beach with a roadway capable of handling a large volume of traffic.
• The corridor also has a fresh, appealing look, with sidewalks and streetscape features.
• The project was completed before the Virginia Department of Transportation opened the Cleveland Street Flyover Ramp that was constructed as part of the I-64/I-264 interchange improvements project, allowing Witchduck Road to accommodate additional traffic.
• Woolpert’s work on the Witchduck Road reconstruction project has made the corridor a more resilient part of Virginia Beach’s road network and more useful to the traveling public.