PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – The new MLK Expressway will open in Portsmouth soon. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Elizabeth River Tunnels (ERT) started talking about the project in 2012 as a solution to reduce congestion and it’s in the final stages.
Photos: Progress on the MLK Extension
It extends the MLK Freeway from London Boulevard to Interstate 264, with a partial interchange at High Street. The expressway will provide a direct route between the Midtown and Downtown Tunnels, and a more direct route for truck drivers.
MLK Expressway Fact Sheet
The project includes 10 bridges and nine new ramps – and it will not have a toll. It is expected to open by the end of this year.
10 On Your Side’s Erin Kelly is going to ride with the engineer on the new expressway today for a close-up look at the project. She’ll share her behind-the-scenes look, beginning tonight on WAVY News 10 at 4.