Following another fatal crash on Sandbridge Road over the Fourth of July weekend, resolving traffic and access near the popular southern beach is again top of mind for Virginia Beach leaders and residents.
“Once again, this is a situation, and you know feeling helpless is not taking care of the problem,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said at the first council meeting following the fatal crash on July 4 that killed Wasif Shaikh of Lorton.
“If this was able to be fixed by this council, it would’ve been done a long time ago,” Dyer said. “I intend to send letters to both our senators and our elected congressional people that this cannot stand.”
The site of the recent crash has been an issue in Virginia Beach for decades. A $53.9 million project to expand Nimmo Parkway to Sandbridge was first introduced in the city’s capital budget about 30 years ago. The project remains stalled due to funding and environmental restraints.
The proposed expansion would extend the Nimmo Parkway by about 1.5 miles with a bike path, shoulders and parallel walking path.
If completed, the extension would add an additional route to Sandbridge, which currently has one way in and out unless the Navy allows cars through the Dam Neck Annex base.
Sandbridge Road can be windy and prone to flooding, plus traffic on the road picks up during tourist season. According to Sandbridge Beach Civic League President Elaine Fekete, this leads to traffic shutdowns, occasional school closures and can be perilous for emergency services trying to enter or exit the area.
“It has a tremendous impact on the Sandbridge community, as well as on surrounding communities,” Fekete said. “We need someone on council that will stress the importance of how necessary it is that we speed up this process.”
Though the road itself is controlled by the Virginia Beach Department of Public Works, the proposed solution requires outside funding and assistance to navigate environmental regulations in the area. The proposed solution could impact wetlands in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, protected species in the area and tree cover.
“We had done an environmental impact assessment, but people at the federal level determined that wasn’t sufficient,” said Councilwoman Barbara Henley, who represents the area. “In order to get the permits [for the project], we have to complete a full environmental impact study, because it’s a sensitive area with a lot of federal property.”
City officials hope to finish the Environmental Impact Statement by the start of 2027. Construction will likely begin in 2029.
