WILLIAMSBURG — The first phase of the Colonial Parkway rehabilitation project will begin on Monday, Aug. 14, according to Colonial National Historical Park.
“We appreciate motorists’ awareness and patience as this first phase of this incredibly important infrastructure project begins,” said Superintendent Jerri Marr. “We encourage all visitors to stay safe. Please pay attention to the information provided on the electronic variable message signs, detour signs and caution signs. For everyone’s safety, motorists should be on the lookout for construction workers, vehicles, equipment and any traffic stoppages or lane closures along the parkway.”
The first phase of construction will include the closure of the parkway from Ballard Street in Yorktown to Fusiliers Road, which will remain open, it said. The Route 17 access ramps will be closed. Work in this area will also include the replacement of the bridge deck over Route 17.
The parkway will also be closed from Route 199 south of the Williamsburg Tunnel to and including the tunnel, the park added. The North England Street access ramp will remain open to local traffic and Colonial Williamsburg buses through Spring 2024. Work in this area will include the replacement of exposed aggregate concrete roadway slabs.
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund is providing approximately $123 million for the project, which the park said is the “first major holistic rehabilitation project for the parkway since its full length opened to traffic in 1957.”
The project was awarded to the Wagman/JMT Design Build Team in March 2023.
The entire project will include the rehabilitation of approximately 10 miles of parkway and 11 bridges, including the replacement of two bridge decks, repairs to the Williamsburg Tunnel, and rehabilitation of the stormwater drainage systems, according to the park.
Construction is slated to last three years and be complete by June 30, 2026, in time to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
Details about the project, work activities, closures and detour routes can be found on the project website.
