VDOT explains phased replacement, temporary signals for Route 106 bridge during I‑64 gap work

The Virginia Department of Transportation told the New Kent County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 8 that the Emmaus Church Road (Route 106) bridge replacement is being done in phases and requires temporary signals to maintain one‑lane, two‑way traffic while construction proceeds. Philip Frazier, VDOT residency representative, said the existing bridge is “structurally deficient” under the National Bridge Inspection Standards but that classification does not mean the bridge is unsafe for use.

Frazier said the project uses state of good repair (SGR) funds that allow replacement “in kind,” which constrains the new bridge to roughly the same width and prevents maintaining two traffic lanes across the structure during work. To keep traffic moving without routing a long detour, VDOT installed temporary signals to alternate one‑way traffic across the…