COMMONWEALTH TO PRACTICE
INTERSTATE 64 LANE REVERSAL MAY 11vaemergency.com VirginiaDOT.orgvsp.virginia.gov
Summary:
The Commonwealth will be holding an evacuation drill that will include
closing I-64 East between I-295 in Richmond and the Hampton Roads
Bridge-Tunnel. To minimize any impacts to motorists, the closure will
occur between 5 and 7:00 AM on Sunday May 11th. All lanes will be reopened
no later than 7 AM. Motorists traveling west from the Southside will not
be impacted.
We are notifying major businesses and schools in the area so that they are
aware and can notify the appropriate personnel in necessary. Attached is a
press release issued today. Please respond to this email if you have any
further questions.
-------------------------PRESS RELEASE-----------------------------------------------
Expect Early Morning Traffic Delays
RICHMOND — As the Atlantic hurricane season nears its June 1 kickoff, we
all must prepare for hurricanes, including the emergency response crews who
are responsible for the safety of Virginians during hurricane-related
evacuations. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia
Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), Virginia State Police and the
Virginia National Guard will partner to conduct an emergency preparedness
exercise on May 11 from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. to test state agencies’ ability to
reverse Interstate 64 traffic between Hampton Roads and Richmond.
The reversal of I-64 is an element of the commonwealth’s overall hurricane
response plan. A reversal can be ordered by the governor to speed the
evacuation of the Hampton Roads region in the event of a hurricane or other
disaster.
The exercise involves closing I-64 east between I-295 near Richmond (Exit
200) to just east of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (Exit 272). The
agencies will rehearse all of the steps needed to place westbound traffic
in both the westbound and the eastbound lanes of I-64, but no actual
westbound traffic will be routed onto the eastbound lanes during the
exercise.
The exercise will test the commonwealth’s lane-reversal plan and will allow
the agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of communications tools,
inter-agency procedures and the incident-command structure. It will provide
real-world experience for the crews that will have to quickly close 36
interchanges and safely reverse the direction of travel on the interstate
if an evacuation is ordered.
“We want to rehearse an interstate reversal before a real-world event makes
it necessary,” said Michael Cline, Virginia’s state coordinator of
emergency management. “It is vital that VDOT, VDEM, the State Police and
the National Guard prepare for emergencies, just as we ask encourage all
Virginians to develop and practice their own emergency plans.”
Virginia has practiced this reversal only once, during a similar exercise
in 2007. No actual interstate lane reversal has ever been ordered in the
commonwealth.
The exercise is planned for a time period when the fewest motorists use
I-64. Fewer than 1,000 vehicles normally use the busiest stretch of I-64 in
the exercise area during the two early morning hours of the exercise. The
agencies involved in the exercise have notified motorists, businesses and
major transportation hubs in the corridor to minimize traffic delays.
“Although we never want to cause motorists delays, emergency response is a
key focus for VDOT and our partner agencies,” said David S. Ekern, VDOT
commissioner. “All emergency responders must possess the training and
experience to conduct safe and efficient evacuations in a crisis. We have
planned this exercise for a time that impacts the fewest motorists while
ensuring that our crews get the training they need to safely and
efficiently conduct any lane reversal ordered during an emergency event.”
“One of the most important missions of the Virginia National Guard is
providing assistance to civil authorities during times of crisis in the
commonwealth,” said Maj. Gen. Robert B. Newman, Jr., the adjutant general
of Virginia. “Taking part in this exercise is an important opportunity for
us to work with VDOT, VDEM and the State Police to ensure we are well
prepared to respond to a severe weather event in the Tidewater region.”
Detailed hurricane evacuation information, lane-reversal maps and other
hurricane preparedness resources are available at
http://www.ReadyVirginia.gov/ and at www.VirginiaDOT.org/hurricanes.
Exercise Details
· 5 a.m.—The exercise begins with the closure of I-64 east at the
I-295 interchange (Exit 200). All on-ramps onto I-64 east between I-295
near Richmond (Exit 200) and the east side of the Hampton Roads
Bridge-Tunnel (Exit 272) will be closed.
· Motorists traveling east on I-64 approaching the I-295 interchange
and those traveling on I-295 wishing to use I-64 east will be detoured
using I-295 south to Route 60 or Route 5.
· Motorists already traveling east on I-64 east of the I-295
interchange will continue to use the highway. However, no additional
motorists will be able to enter I-64 east in the exercise area between 5
a.m. and 7 a.m.
· 5:45 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. — State Police, VDOT and National Guard
personnel will confirm that all gates have been closed. Crews will “sweep”
the lanes by car between Exit 200 and Exit 234 to simulate how emergency
responders will ensure that all eastbound traffic has been cleared from the
lanes before traffic is reversed.
· 6:05 a.m. — All I-64 east off-ramps from Exit 234 to Exit 272 will
be closed.
· During a real-world event, westbound traffic would then travel on
both sides of the interstate to speed the evacuation. For the exercise,
westbound traffic will not actually be diverted onto the eastbound lanes.
Drivers on I-64 west will not be impacted by the exercise.
· 7 a.m. — All lanes and ramps will reopen.
(END)
Please note:
The 4D Immersion Theater contains theatrical lighting including strobe
lights. Please use discretion if your child is easily startled, or if
you have medical conditions related to your back.
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