VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A construction project is set to begin in Virginia Beach at the intersection of Indian River and Kempsville roads.
City officials said that the intersection is the busiest in all of Virginia Beach, trafficking more than 100,000 cars each day.
Starting on Wednesday, drivers won’t be able to turn left onto Kempsville Road at the intersection. City project manager Jessica Blackburn said there are alternate ways to reach Kempsville Road.
“You’re going to need to make a left onto Kemps River and follow around the shopping center and then make your left onto Kempsville," she explained. "If you’re heading toward the interstate on Indian River, you will actually go past the Kempsville intersection and make a U-turn at a new temporary signal at Lila Lane."
The second phase of the project will begin in ten weeks. At that point, drivers can’t turn left onto Indian River Road at the intersection. Blackburn said by this time, there will be a new U-turn traffic pattern for drivers to follow.
“We’re going to have a U-turn movement. As you go past the intersection there will be a light where you will make a U-turn,” said Blackburn.
Driver Crystal Brock said not everyone is going to like the construction.
“Now everything’s going on at one time with construction, so it’s going to start frustrating people and people are going to get road rage,” said Brock.
Brock said that her commute is already long and that more construction just means more congestion.
“It’s really frustrating when you’re at work all day and you want to go home, and you don’t want to sit in traffic. You’re usually there for a good forty-five minutes to an hour, trying to turn at the intersection,” said Brock.
Blackburn said that, ultimately, the new traffic pattern will be worth the wait.
“Our number one concern right now is safety and getting people through this intersection. So, in order for us to get people through this intersection configuration, this is what we have to do,” said Blackburn.
City officials said police officers will help direct traffic on Wednesday and Thursday at the intersection.
City officials said the project should be completed by the Spring of 2020.