The expansion of Nansemond Parkway was a vital road widening project to improve traffic conditions for the City of Suffolk, VA. In conjunction with Phase III, which begins at the Chesapeake city line, it creates a full, four-lane divided corridor between Interstate 664 and Shoulders Hill Road. The design team partnered with the City of Suffolk to overcome key challenges including right-of-way impacts, access management, communication with the public, and drainage concerns including the stormwater system and off-site drainage. Today, the transformed, 0.4 mile stretch of Nansemond Parkway features a 10-foot wide multi-use path on the north side, 5-foot wide sidewalk on the south side, raised median with landscaping, turn lanes, closed drainage, and improved lighting, signage, and pavement markings.
Right-of-way impacts and potential acquisitions can be one of the most challenging aspects of roadway design and construction. With a number of established commercial businesses along this corridor of Nansemond Parkway, Clark Nexsen’s Transportation – Roads practice worked very closely with the City of Suffolk to develop solutions to parking and ingress/egress concerns for the businesses. The shared effort between the city and Clark Nexsen enabled the city to avoid full acquisition or relocation of the impacted businesses – a noteworthy accomplishment on a project of this type.
The completed project represents regionalism and collaboration executed at the highest level, as two cities, two design firms, and multiple other partners effectively merged two projects for the construction phase. With Phase II (designed by Clark Nexsen) and Phase III (designed by Kimley-Horn) taking place concurrently, VDOT recommended combining the two projects for bidding and construction purposes. This achieved multiple benefits for both cities: notably, an opportunity to benefit from economy-of-scale pricing and the lessening of potential impacts to motorists, as the traffic flow would be managed by a single contractor across city lines. The result has been lauded by leadership from both cities as an example of how the region can better work together – a smooth transportation project with minimal disruption for businesses and motorists, completed on time and under budget.
Awards
ACEC Virginia Engineering Excellence Honor Award, 2020
APWA Mid-Atlantic Transportation Project of the Year $5 – $25 Million, 2019
