Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Authority has opted for the widening proposal in preference to three other options that would involve new routes and cost far more. The preferred choice, Alternative A, involves improvements to the I-64 highway together with widening of the existing four-lane crossing to six lanes. Improvements would be largely confined to within existing rights of way. The US$3.3bn cost includes a 40% contingency.
Two of the rejected options were a US$6.6 million scheme including a new bridge/tunnel across the Elizabeth River and a more extensive US$12.5bn proposal that also included transit-only lanes. The third proposal, which was costed at US$11.9bn, combined aspects of the other two rejected options, but without the transit lanes.