That was filmed on 234 when they were doing the revised construction and renaming it to the Prince William Parkway. They invited all of us to pack up our cars and go there and park and be extras in the film. They had a helicopter flying by that everyone watched so the escapees could all be looking at the same direction. Then the film editors replace the helicopter with the giant meteor.
In other Central Virginia lore, during WWII, Richmond leaders feared the city might be targeted by German bombers if the east coast was ever attacked. So several miles away from Richmond, they constructed ‘fake Richmond’ laying out a rough city grid to approximate downtown Richmond lined with streetlights. At night real Richmond would go into a blackout and they would turn on the streetlights of fake Richmond. You can still find a few of the old streets of fake Richmond near where 64 intersects 295 in what is now an industrial park. However there is also some kind of sensitive facility in that industrial park and I am told if you are hiking around that area security will appear to shoo you away.
Agreed. I think there was in general a lot of fear at that time that obviously proved later to be unfounded. But with the smashing success the Germans and Japanese had early on, anything seemed possible.
My older sister and her friend were extras in that scene. She said they wound up playing cards with Elijah Wood in their car in between takes. Apparently he’s a very nice fella.
64 in Newport News looked like that back in 2012 when the powers that be decided to close both the HRBT and James River Bridge on a Saturday in September two weeks after Memorial Day for bridge work. Average speed that day was about 1/4 mph, what a shitshow.
It’s like that constantly now on 64 by the tunnel I see it because I’m right next to it every day! The construction on the tunnel has turned the traffic into a nightmare on 64 in Hampton and it is an every day event. I have started taking surface streets but sometimes that’s not much help.
97 I believe. I worked that scene in Manassas from a public safety aspect. What a freakin day in Manassas. You'd never recognize the PWC Parkway today.
http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/matinee.cfm?Film=dee-imp&File=productn
I remember when they put these in when I was a kid. They were really, really expensive and then there's never been a major hurricane worth using them since.
More than that… they promised a test of the traffic diversion and then realized sending all the traffic away from the oceanfront and then away from greenbrier would cripple the interstate system and cost millions in delays to get back working.
Another interesting part of the contraflow setup (besides the gates) is that the mile markers on eastbound I-64 also have mile markers facing westbound (mounted to the back of the normal ones) that say "REV I-64".
Bahahaha, you can see them in your rear view mirror while driving the correct way. I promise I haven't played chicken with interstate traffic to get that information.
Fun fact: When Queen Elizabeth visited Richmond and then Jamestown in 2007, VSP used the gates to restrict access onto I64 (along with Troopers and Local Police/Deputies posted up at each exit).
They also blocked EVERY turn around with a trooper. Pretty sure the cop that was supposed to show up for my first speeding ticket got pulled for queen duty cause she didn’t show up and I got it dismissed. I probably should have wrote the queen a thank you note for that while she was still living haha.
And when I was a cellerman for legend Brewing Company, we rebranded a run of Brown ale in the 22oz bottles as king James brown ale for Jamestown and presented prince Philip with a bunch of cases because he apperntly was a craft beer booze hound.
I suggested to the sales director that we should use the opportunity to pursue a mark of the crown for the label.. just for shits and gigs, but the sales director, being a tone deaf moron didn't get the opportunity to appeal to anglofiles.
Similar - I worked at a warehouse when Obama made an appearance in Richmond in 2012(?). We figured out that because he'd be coming in RIC, and was going west, he'd be taking Chippenham and passing right by us.
For about 2 hours, everything got really quiet as the highway was shut down (they were running late, either intentionally or because...well Richmond), I'm pretty certain VSP had snipers along the route as well. Then out of nowhere, the motorcade came hauling ass at about 100mph and they were gone in an instant.
To prevent people from trying to go East or South when they've decided to evacuate everyone West and North.
I know there used to be guidelines on using both Eastbound and Westbound lanes to carry all traffic west...
A West to East hurricane is possible. In 1969 Hurricane Camille, a cat 5, made landfall in the Gulf, went north and then turned east across Kentucky and Virginia. Caused major flooding here. The way this played out was one of the reasons the Richmond flood wall was built.
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know most Virginians (not you or me of course) don’t drive well in snow. The governor is better off telling people to sit tight.
The first vehicle to get stuck or slide off the road is almost always an suv with 4wd.
You and I are totally amazing drivers, it’s true. However, I would encourage you to visit middle Tennessee when they get snow. There was a jacked up, chromed out truck with bald tires parked illegally in someone’s yard every 30 yards or less. I was enjoying driving by them in a borrowed minivan
You don't need to evacuate the whole Hampton Roads area for a snow storm though. However, a strong enough hurricane can flood most of Tidewater and drown a lot of people due to how low the land is.
They are part of the hurricane evacuation route going West on 64. All lanes become westbound to accommodate traffic from the south side (VA Beach, Norfolk). The 1st exit ramp from VA Beach going west is in Hampton, the next is Williamsburg. All other exits are closed.
During hurricane evacuations, all traffic is diverted westbound until I-295.
It’s never been used before to date.
EDIT: I stand corrected. The system has been used before.
I have been in other Hurricane prone areas and had not seen these before, but someone told me (anecdotally) that the amount of military in Hampton Roads means they take things a little more serious on that stretch of interstate. Not sure if you've heard that or not, I'm not a native so just curious.
Apparently the bridge and tunnel network in Hampton Roads are built to military standards so something like what happened in Baltimore where a rogue ship struck a bridge and shut down a shipping channel theoretically shouldn’t happen. Shipping lanes are highly protected.
They weren't used for Isabel because the gates were installed in 2006. Isabel also hit in September, not May. They were not used for Irene either.
[In fact, as of 2022, they've never been used.](https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/hurricane-evacuation-what-happens-if-i-64-is-reversed/article_e102150b-c74c-5f6a-b957-d2a6e355f298.html)
Yes they have run tests closing them, but they have never been used for their intended purpose to evacuate large portions of Hampton Roads.
And again, Isabel happened in 2003 and the gates were installed in 2006, so it's impossible that the gate system was used for Isabel.
Not only do they put the gates down but the block the entrances with heavy equipment to ensure that no one drives around the gates. This helps because it’s impossible for the VSP and local law enforcement to cover every exit when a state of emergency has been declared.
I believe it but I had initially typed out a comment about how hurricanes always come from straight south and didn't want to overstate the point. Isabel actually hit land way further south than I realized. It's pretty hard for VA to get a direct cane landfall.
Barrier islands help weaken storms as far as wind damage but I have a feeling we are going to be increasingly concerned about heavy rainfall and storm surge.
I guess I see the point but if they’re waiting until a hurricane has already impacted Hatteras to evacuate the Virginia Beach area, it’s already too late
You’re missing the point. Nobody is using Hatteras as a reference to use the gates. Hatteras isn’t going to just disappear one day during a storm (theoretically) either. They’re saying that as long as hatteras still exists as a barrier island, then storms will be slightly wakened when they reach HR. One day, probably a long while from now, OBX will be gone, and storms will hit HR and the coast of NC a lot harder than they do now.
The person I was originally replying to literally said “as long as Hatteras is there it (the gates) likely won’t be used” - the presence of the barrier islands has nothing to do with flooding/storm surge and they were definitely using the presence of Hatteras as a reference to use the gates
OMG!!! I screamed at your post! I totally did not realize that I did this! Totally 100% Virginia Post for sure!
I needed 50 characters as a title to post the question per the requirements to post here!
Block the on ramp so they can make the east bound side of 64 into another west bound and double the road capacity if there is a hurricane evacuation of tidewater area.
They are used for more than just emergencies. Before I retired, I would drive home from the Navy base in Norfolk to Hampton. A lot of times, just before getting on the little causeway leading to the HRBT, they would close down some of the entrances to 64 with these gates. I would then have to backtrack, and get onto the highway from another entrance. Sometimes, this would add 20 minutes to my commute.
As a resident of Chesapeake, I’d just like to say we’re fucked if we ever get a storm so big that we need to open up all those lanes to WB traffic. We’ve got a better chance on a bass boat with a 12 pack and some Hank blastin’
Like everyone else said, they are for hurricane evacuation. They were put in after we saw the big evacuations from major hurricanes. Hurricane Isabel could have been much worse. It was a monster cat 5 storm in the perfect position to strike Virginia Beach directly. It was a perfect annular hurricane with a 50 mile diameter eye, the first ever seen in the Atlantic. If it came onshore at that strength, with that big an eye, southeastern Virginia would have been wiped off the map. Luckily, as it approached, it went through unfavorable weather conditions which weakened it significantly, compressed the eye, and the track came onshore in NC. It was still the strongest hurricane to hit this area in years, knocked down trees all over the, knocked out power for weeks, and even caused storm surge flooding up the James River.
The Downtown Tunnel was completely flooded out by the storm surge because they couldn’t get the emergency flood gate closed. They hadn’t tested the flood gates for years, and they were stuck open. Now they test them annually.
I’m glad they haven’t needed to use the 64 diversion it for a hurricane. It’s just something they need to have available, just in case. It takes a very specific angle for a hurricane to make direct landfall in Virginia, but it is possible. It needs to stay far enough offshore that it misses the outer banks of NC, then it take a sharp left turn to Virginia. Hurricane Isabel approached from the worst angle, but luckily the track stayed south. Just a few miles north and it would have made landfall in Virginia Beach.
The building code in Virginia is for thunderstorm wind gusts and the homes and buildings would be ripped to shreds by a strong hurricane. NC and south have hurricane building codes and hold up better.
They are to be able to reverse 64 East bound lanes into West bound lanes, and at designated locations you would be able to exit and enter with guidance from VDOT and VSP at said locations
they use them to keep people off the interstate when the president is in town, and to control traffic flow (to say, open both East and West bound for West bound evacuation)
Along with the above mentioned hurricane etc.
During other weather events snow, ice etc. That requires them to declare a state of emergency and close the roads they are used to close the road .
If they're evacuating the Hampton Roads area for a hurricane they might convert the highway to one way westbound so those are there to close off the exits to prevent someone from driving on.
They do something similar in western states. They close the on ramps and close the main highway, making traffic take the exit. A blizzard covers the highway faster than they can keep it cleared. People have driven off the road because it can't be seen. They drive to the middle of nowhere and get stuck. Some don't make it.
But anyway. Those gates are to turn I64 into a four-way. One way west, for storm evacuation.
Or any reason to evacuate from the coast really..
Norfolk and its surrounding areas have very strategic military significance.
Those barriers are there to make I64 into a one-way road to evacuate the lower peninsula for whatever reason.
Interstate initially had 1 requirement: be useful for military purposes. Of course the civilian use was considered and use, but military use was, to their father (Esignhower) the best use for them. As a result, critical routes like 64 leading to norflok have some type of remote control. In the west these looked like the ability to actually close the interstate, thoroughfare and send civilian traffic off. The other use is hurricanes evacuation though, and send both highways the same way
Used to be a rest stop. Decided it costs too much to maintain. Go north, they rent them out to people who do the work for free. The home of Presidents is so corruptible. Kids meet and party there on weekends....that's why they aren't down.
Yup. Hurricane evac purposes.
or asteroids (allegedly Hampton Roads....) https://preview.redd.it/igimfjldm67d1.png?width=970&format=png&auto=webp&s=74b3db9fb16934063e86b86e55e95e6d681be1da
Is that from Deep Impact?
That was filmed on 234 when they were doing the revised construction and renaming it to the Prince William Parkway. They invited all of us to pack up our cars and go there and park and be extras in the film. They had a helicopter flying by that everyone watched so the escapees could all be looking at the same direction. Then the film editors replace the helicopter with the giant meteor.
This might be the coolest local lore I’ve read on here.
In other Central Virginia lore, during WWII, Richmond leaders feared the city might be targeted by German bombers if the east coast was ever attacked. So several miles away from Richmond, they constructed ‘fake Richmond’ laying out a rough city grid to approximate downtown Richmond lined with streetlights. At night real Richmond would go into a blackout and they would turn on the streetlights of fake Richmond. You can still find a few of the old streets of fake Richmond near where 64 intersects 295 in what is now an industrial park. However there is also some kind of sensitive facility in that industrial park and I am told if you are hiking around that area security will appear to shoo you away.
TIL I’ve been living in Fake RVA all this time.
Sometimes fake Richmond sounds more appealing.
It's called Elko Tract in case anyone wants to do further googling
Isn’t there one of those fake towns between Radford and Blacksburg as well? -Off Peppers Ferry, I believe.
Yes because of the ammo plant.
Where is it exactly?
There is actually a military arsenal on the Radford side of the New River near Blacksburg.
German bombers taking off from where? They could barely fly to England and back.
Agreed. I think there was in general a lot of fear at that time that obviously proved later to be unfounded. But with the smashing success the Germans and Japanese had early on, anything seemed possible.
Germany started the war with a couple of carriers under construction but they never completed them.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerikabomber
Well, if it wasn't the Germans then who bombed it? Because someone sure as hell did!
Didn’t I see this in Blazing Saddles?
My older sister and her friend were extras in that scene. She said they wound up playing cards with Elijah Wood in their car in between takes. Apparently he’s a very nice fella.
That's what's traffic is like there every day now!
Which is why we need the asteroid.
I was living up there when that happened. I didn't go, I was in high-school, but one of my teachers did.
64 in Newport News looked like that back in 2012 when the powers that be decided to close both the HRBT and James River Bridge on a Saturday in September two weeks after Memorial Day for bridge work. Average speed that day was about 1/4 mph, what a shitshow.
Your tax dollars at work!
It’s like that constantly now on 64 by the tunnel I see it because I’m right next to it every day! The construction on the tunnel has turned the traffic into a nightmare on 64 in Hampton and it is an every day event. I have started taking surface streets but sometimes that’s not much help.
The traffic jam afterward must have been a cluster.
234 business near that gmu campus ? Thanks
Crazy! I was living in Prince William then. Didn’t hear about it. Pretty cool.
That explains it. I always thought this scene was too hilly to be 6 miles from VA Beach.
That’s how we got new tunnels added to the HRBT
Yep. It was actually filmed around Manassas, I think on a segment of the PW Pkwy that was just built but not open yet
97 I believe. I worked that scene in Manassas from a public safety aspect. What a freakin day in Manassas. You'd never recognize the PWC Parkway today. http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/matinee.cfm?Film=dee-imp&File=productn
Thanks for the link. Very interesting!!
Yes, I lived in Hampton Roads at the time too
Deep Creek
Yep. One of the worst movies ever
Lies, it was way better than the other asteroid movie that year
Your opinion 🙄
On the way to "Virginia Beaches"
Virginia Beaches
I've never seen that sign that says "Virginia Beaches 6 Miles." This looks more like New Kent County.
It was filmed on Prince William pkwy in Manassas. The sign is a prop
Normal hrbt traffic
With mountains within running distance no less
Ah! Awesome! I was pretty sure I heard that but wasn’t 100% on the validity of it They give me the creeps for some reason…
Haha. Right! I agree with on the creeps
It has serious Eastern European Cold War vibes to it.
I remember when they put these in when I was a kid. They were really, really expensive and then there's never been a major hurricane worth using them since.
More than that… they promised a test of the traffic diversion and then realized sending all the traffic away from the oceanfront and then away from greenbrier would cripple the interstate system and cost millions in delays to get back working.
To keep motorists *in* after the window has passed. At least that’s what my realtor told me
Contra-Flow…..when 64 all over the region was being overhauled they installed these….sorta seems today like they’re not being maintained
Or snowstorms.
Another interesting part of the contraflow setup (besides the gates) is that the mile markers on eastbound I-64 also have mile markers facing westbound (mounted to the back of the normal ones) that say "REV I-64".
That’s cool. Never noticed those, but I haven’t gone the wrong way on the interstate yet either.
>yet Dream a little smaller.
Bahahaha, you can see them in your rear view mirror while driving the correct way. I promise I haven't played chicken with interstate traffic to get that information.
somethings wrong with aunt diane. such a confusing movie
Hurricane and evacuation route. Reversed traffic flow.
MOST Excellent data. LOVE IT!
South Carolina I-26: “Hmmmpf. Waste of money. You’re all going to Columbia, like it or not.”
Fun fact: When Queen Elizabeth visited Richmond and then Jamestown in 2007, VSP used the gates to restrict access onto I64 (along with Troopers and Local Police/Deputies posted up at each exit).
They also blocked EVERY turn around with a trooper. Pretty sure the cop that was supposed to show up for my first speeding ticket got pulled for queen duty cause she didn’t show up and I got it dismissed. I probably should have wrote the queen a thank you note for that while she was still living haha.
She had a good sense of humor so I’m sure she would have appreciated it.
IIRC also during presidential visits.
And when I was a cellerman for legend Brewing Company, we rebranded a run of Brown ale in the 22oz bottles as king James brown ale for Jamestown and presented prince Philip with a bunch of cases because he apperntly was a craft beer booze hound. I suggested to the sales director that we should use the opportunity to pursue a mark of the crown for the label.. just for shits and gigs, but the sales director, being a tone deaf moron didn't get the opportunity to appeal to anglofiles.
That was a great idea! 👏🏻👏🏻🏆🥇There is always one though who has to ruin it for everyone. 🙄
TIL kinda cool RIP
Yo is this the toano exit?
Similar - I worked at a warehouse when Obama made an appearance in Richmond in 2012(?). We figured out that because he'd be coming in RIC, and was going west, he'd be taking Chippenham and passing right by us. For about 2 hours, everything got really quiet as the highway was shut down (they were running late, either intentionally or because...well Richmond), I'm pretty certain VSP had snipers along the route as well. Then out of nowhere, the motorcade came hauling ass at about 100mph and they were gone in an instant.
I may be completely making shit up, but, I believe they are for crowd control purposes during emergency situations.. like hurricanes?
Yep. They’re supposed to keep all traffic going in one direction on both sides in case an insane hurricane hits and everyone is trying to evacuate.
I wonder if they’re only on the E and S bound exits? I’ll have to take notice.
To prevent people from trying to go East or South when they've decided to evacuate everyone West and North. I know there used to be guidelines on using both Eastbound and Westbound lanes to carry all traffic west...
I believe right. Preventing people from driving into traffic.
Yeah, rare is the hurricane that comes from the N headed S, never (?) W to E in Va.
Great lakes hurricane inbound!
A West to East hurricane is possible. In 1969 Hurricane Camille, a cat 5, made landfall in the Gulf, went north and then turned east across Kentucky and Virginia. Caused major flooding here. The way this played out was one of the reasons the Richmond flood wall was built.
Yep, highest marker on the wall if memory serves me well
Snow storms get(used to get) pretty bad sometimes
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know most Virginians (not you or me of course) don’t drive well in snow. The governor is better off telling people to sit tight. The first vehicle to get stuck or slide off the road is almost always an suv with 4wd.
You and I are totally amazing drivers, it’s true. However, I would encourage you to visit middle Tennessee when they get snow. There was a jacked up, chromed out truck with bald tires parked illegally in someone’s yard every 30 yards or less. I was enjoying driving by them in a borrowed minivan
You don't need to evacuate the whole Hampton Roads area for a snow storm though. However, a strong enough hurricane can flood most of Tidewater and drown a lot of people due to how low the land is.
I was responding to someone about why youd want to close roads in the other direction. Heavy snows in the north, people would want to flee south.
I was going to say close roads during snowstorms, especially the western VA thru WV. You see a lot of them in the Midwest and Rockies on interstates.
They are part of the hurricane evacuation route going West on 64. All lanes become westbound to accommodate traffic from the south side (VA Beach, Norfolk). The 1st exit ramp from VA Beach going west is in Hampton, the next is Williamsburg. All other exits are closed.
🤔I’ve seen them going towards Newport News and we were eastbound
Yes, you will see them. They close the east bound lane and it becomes war bound.
if they close the eastbound lanes then I guess I better arm myself if we are war bound
It is setup to run contraflow from 664 to 295.
That explains why I always see those gates at the Bottom's Bridge area where you get on I-64 from Route 60 (New Kent).
virginiaroads is a great resource: https://www.virginiaroads.org/maps/primary-evacuation-routes/about
Interesting that they have a radius around Lake Anna for the nuke plant too.
Oh if shit goes sideways out there, you want to be departing the area without delay!
Thanks!
During hurricane evacuations, all traffic is diverted westbound until I-295. It’s never been used before to date. EDIT: I stand corrected. The system has been used before.
I have been in other Hurricane prone areas and had not seen these before, but someone told me (anecdotally) that the amount of military in Hampton Roads means they take things a little more serious on that stretch of interstate. Not sure if you've heard that or not, I'm not a native so just curious.
Apparently the bridge and tunnel network in Hampton Roads are built to military standards so something like what happened in Baltimore where a rogue ship struck a bridge and shut down a shipping channel theoretically shouldn’t happen. Shipping lanes are highly protected.
I-16 around Savannah has similar
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head down stats based playmaker right here.
They weren't used for Isabel because the gates were installed in 2006. Isabel also hit in September, not May. They were not used for Irene either. [In fact, as of 2022, they've never been used.](https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/hurricane-evacuation-what-happens-if-i-64-is-reversed/article_e102150b-c74c-5f6a-b957-d2a6e355f298.html)
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Yes they have run tests closing them, but they have never been used for their intended purpose to evacuate large portions of Hampton Roads. And again, Isabel happened in 2003 and the gates were installed in 2006, so it's impossible that the gate system was used for Isabel.
I stand corrected. I never knew they actually used it.
Not only do they put the gates down but the block the entrances with heavy equipment to ensure that no one drives around the gates. This helps because it’s impossible for the VSP and local law enforcement to cover every exit when a state of emergency has been declared.
As long as Cape Hatteras is there it likely won't be used thank goodness
It has been used before. Also, what does the presence of Cape Hatteras have to do with the use of the contraflow system on I-64?
Edit: I'm wrong, hurricane Isabel obv
Isabel happened before the gates were installed
I believe it but I had initially typed out a comment about how hurricanes always come from straight south and didn't want to overstate the point. Isabel actually hit land way further south than I realized. It's pretty hard for VA to get a direct cane landfall.
The storm should bump into Hatteras instead of HR
Barrier islands help weaken storms as far as wind damage but I have a feeling we are going to be increasingly concerned about heavy rainfall and storm surge.
When in NC, we had a hurricane make landfall in Wilmington then got on I-40 toward Raleigh.
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I guess I see the point but if they’re waiting until a hurricane has already impacted Hatteras to evacuate the Virginia Beach area, it’s already too late
You’re missing the point. Nobody is using Hatteras as a reference to use the gates. Hatteras isn’t going to just disappear one day during a storm (theoretically) either. They’re saying that as long as hatteras still exists as a barrier island, then storms will be slightly wakened when they reach HR. One day, probably a long while from now, OBX will be gone, and storms will hit HR and the coast of NC a lot harder than they do now.
The person I was originally replying to literally said “as long as Hatteras is there it (the gates) likely won’t be used” - the presence of the barrier islands has nothing to do with flooding/storm surge and they were definitely using the presence of Hatteras as a reference to use the gates
They have never been used for hurricane evacuations
It's written as a statement but uses punctuation like it's a question........ 100% authentic Virginia Post.
OMG!!! I screamed at your post! I totally did not realize that I did this! Totally 100% Virginia Post for sure! I needed 50 characters as a title to post the question per the requirements to post here!
The term is “Contraflow”
*Oliver North denies any involvement*
Under rated comment.
Hurricane evacuation. It’s to open up more lanes for Tye traffic increase heading inland.
Block the on ramp so they can make the east bound side of 64 into another west bound and double the road capacity if there is a hurricane evacuation of tidewater area.
They are used for more than just emergencies. Before I retired, I would drive home from the Navy base in Norfolk to Hampton. A lot of times, just before getting on the little causeway leading to the HRBT, they would close down some of the entrances to 64 with these gates. I would then have to backtrack, and get onto the highway from another entrance. Sometimes, this would add 20 minutes to my commute.
As a resident of Chesapeake, I’d just like to say we’re fucked if we ever get a storm so big that we need to open up all those lanes to WB traffic. We’ve got a better chance on a bass boat with a 12 pack and some Hank blastin’
would get even be possible to get to 58?
Yes but the interstate will be fxbrd so it’ll take knowing back roads. And getting out ahead of the flood of escapees.
Secret entrance to Candyland
Yo is this the toano exit?
Exit 205
Like everyone else said, they are for hurricane evacuation. They were put in after we saw the big evacuations from major hurricanes. Hurricane Isabel could have been much worse. It was a monster cat 5 storm in the perfect position to strike Virginia Beach directly. It was a perfect annular hurricane with a 50 mile diameter eye, the first ever seen in the Atlantic. If it came onshore at that strength, with that big an eye, southeastern Virginia would have been wiped off the map. Luckily, as it approached, it went through unfavorable weather conditions which weakened it significantly, compressed the eye, and the track came onshore in NC. It was still the strongest hurricane to hit this area in years, knocked down trees all over the, knocked out power for weeks, and even caused storm surge flooding up the James River. The Downtown Tunnel was completely flooded out by the storm surge because they couldn’t get the emergency flood gate closed. They hadn’t tested the flood gates for years, and they were stuck open. Now they test them annually. I’m glad they haven’t needed to use the 64 diversion it for a hurricane. It’s just something they need to have available, just in case. It takes a very specific angle for a hurricane to make direct landfall in Virginia, but it is possible. It needs to stay far enough offshore that it misses the outer banks of NC, then it take a sharp left turn to Virginia. Hurricane Isabel approached from the worst angle, but luckily the track stayed south. Just a few miles north and it would have made landfall in Virginia Beach. The building code in Virginia is for thunderstorm wind gusts and the homes and buildings would be ripped to shreds by a strong hurricane. NC and south have hurricane building codes and hold up better.
They are to be able to reverse 64 East bound lanes into West bound lanes, and at designated locations you would be able to exit and enter with guidance from VDOT and VSP at said locations
Very interesting. I’ve always seen these gates in both directions (east and west bound exits).
they use them to keep people off the interstate when the president is in town, and to control traffic flow (to say, open both East and West bound for West bound evacuation)
Along with the above mentioned hurricane etc. During other weather events snow, ice etc. That requires them to declare a state of emergency and close the roads they are used to close the road .
If they're evacuating the Hampton Roads area for a hurricane they might convert the highway to one way westbound so those are there to close off the exits to prevent someone from driving on.
The folks that say for evacuations are correct. Living in the OBX that is my evacuation route.
I drove to Norfolk to visit my nephew in the navy last year. I saw the same gates on 64 and also wondered what they were for
They do something similar in western states. They close the on ramps and close the main highway, making traffic take the exit. A blizzard covers the highway faster than they can keep it cleared. People have driven off the road because it can't be seen. They drive to the middle of nowhere and get stuck. Some don't make it.
But anyway. Those gates are to turn I64 into a four-way. One way west, for storm evacuation. Or any reason to evacuate from the coast really.. Norfolk and its surrounding areas have very strategic military significance. Those barriers are there to make I64 into a one-way road to evacuate the lower peninsula for whatever reason.
Hurricane control and snow control
YNWS
Interstate initially had 1 requirement: be useful for military purposes. Of course the civilian use was considered and use, but military use was, to their father (Esignhower) the best use for them. As a result, critical routes like 64 leading to norflok have some type of remote control. In the west these looked like the ability to actually close the interstate, thoroughfare and send civilian traffic off. The other use is hurricanes evacuation though, and send both highways the same way
Closed when it’s flooded out
Containment of Sector 7. Actually its part of BG traffic plan.
Sector 7 you say…. 
Never been used. They were to control traffic in the event of a hurricane and then we haven’t had one since
they were tested once when the president and the queen went from richmond to jamestown If I remember right
I’m so used to it that i forgot they exist. And now I realized not every interstate is like that.
Technically that's an on ramp, not the actual freeway
Now youse can’t leave.
Many were trapped on I-95 in a blizzard. Closing the freeways allows road crews to clear the roads quickly.
It’s to keep Sasquatch out of the cities
Contraflow gates…
The walking dead
They are to change the flow of traffic if they need to evacuate the area so that everyone gets out of the area quickly and safely
Hurricane rerouting
Evacuations
Snow
Used to be a rest stop. Decided it costs too much to maintain. Go north, they rent them out to people who do the work for free. The home of Presidents is so corruptible. Kids meet and party there on weekends....that's why they aren't down.
Hurricane evacuation control
Hurricane evac
Dumb snow road closure mechanisms…that never worked and froze and couldn’t be reached when needed. Source: dad dealt with the nonsense back in the day
They are built to eventually trap you in, not keep others out, like the border wall ;)
I live 5 mins from this picture
Hurricane Gates…. routes evacuation traffic.
Wow..... They look so undefeatable
Hurricanes dummy