Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation Project

The Colonial Parkway in spring.

NPS Photo

 

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Latest construction updates

The closures below went into effect Monday, August 14, 2023. Please see the "Handout of project timetable" and "Meeting boards" links for detour information. Please expect lane closures intermittently on other sections of the Parkway.

Williamsburg Tunnel southward to the Route 199 interchange closure through Summer 2024: The first phase of construction will close the Parkway from the Williamsburg Tunnel southward to the Route 199 interchange. The North England Street access ramp will remain open to local traffic and Colonial Williamsburg buses through Summer 2024 (estimate). Work southward from the tunnel will include replacement of the exposed aggregate concrete roadway slabs, drainage improvements, bridge repairs and tunnel rehabilitation, including lighting upgrades. The initial phase in this area is scheduled for closure through Summer 2024. At that time, the closure will expand to include the North England Street ramp and the Williamsburg Circle.

Ballard Street in Yorktown to Fusiliers Road closure through Winter 2024/2025: The Parkway will be closed from Ballard Street in Yorktown to Fusiliers Road, which will remain open. The Route 17 access ramps will be closed. Work in this area will begin with replacement of the bridge deck over Route 17. Work will continue with replacement of the bridge deck over Yorktown Creek, exposed aggregate slab replacement, and drainage improvements. This segment is expected to remain closed through Winter 2024/2025.

 

Colonial Parkway Detours and Closures, Phase 1, August 2023

NPS Graphic

 

Public overview of the Parkway project, June 2023

An informational public meeting took place on June 22, 2023. In case you could not make it, here are the materials that were shared.

• Video of the presentation given at the meeting (see element below). This includes both audio and transcription. The presentation details what closures to expect in the near future.

• Slide show script of the presentation.
• Handout of project timetable as of June 2023
• Meeting boards detailing the rehabilitation project

 

• 

  Rehabilitate Colonial Parkway

  This is the presentation given at the June 22 public meeting of the rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway.

  Duration:

  11 minutes, 56 seconds

 

Overview of the project

Thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act, Colonial National Historical Park has secured funding to repair and maintain a ten mile section of the Colonial Parkway, which runs through the park. This vital investment will restore up to 90-year-old Parkway infrastructure for the next 40 to 50 years.The Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation Project will increase visitor access, safety and enjoyment by:

• eliminating road hazards
• improving guardrails
• providing better signage
• improving tunnel lighting, and
• providing a better experience for drivers, who can enjoy the views instead of dodging potholes.

The nearly $123 million Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation Project is one of the largest contruction projects established by the Legacy Restoration Fund in the nation. It will address $110.5 million of maintenance backlog identified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) along the Colonial Parkway. Work will include:

• rehabilitation of pavement and shoulders.
• repair of eleven bridges and rehabilitation of the Williamsburg Tunnel.
• improved climate resiliency through better management of stormwater, reconditioning of shoulders and ditches, up-sizing of culverts and armoring of drainage channels, and
• maintaining the cultural landscape by replicating the historic exposed aggregate pavement and the brick bridges and culvert headwalls.

The timetable for this project is currently expected to be slightly less than three years, ending in time for the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday in 2026. Work in the vicinity of Williamsburg, Virginia should be concluded by October 31, 2025, with the remainder of the work completed by June 30, 2026.

See these FAQs about the Colonial Parkway project.

 

Parkway accolades

• Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
• Designated an “All-American Road” (FHWA National Scenic Byway Program).
• Winner of a prestigious Centennial Medallion of the American Society of Landscape Architects as “one of the finest parkway archetypes in the country.”