I-264 pothole repairs suspended

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Pothole repair work on Interstate 264 scheduled for this weekend has been suspended due to the cold weather, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT suspended concrete repair activities on Interstate 264 East between the Clairborne Avenue overpass and the Broad Creek Bridge due to the projected overnight weather conditions. The repairs are set to resume Monday and continue through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.

VDOT is urging travelers to avoid the area if possible and use an alternate route, such as the Interstate 64 High Rise Bridge or the tolled South Norfolk Jordan Bridge.

So far this weekend,  VDOT says Curtis Contracting performed concrete repairs between the Clairborne Avenue overpass and the Broad Creek Bridge on Friday and Saturday nights until the weather conditions deteriorated. They had planned to resume Sunday night but have suspended the work until conditions improve.

Several drivers told WAVY.com they are growing tired of the lengthy pothole repair work. A lot of their frustration stems back to the dozens of potholes that popped up on Interstate 264 earlier this month.

"Norfolk has the worst pothole repair system in the United States," driver Jonathan Pulley said. "Please fix the roads.

"I've had to have of my cars front end aligned today," driver Jesse Brown said. "I had to get my tires rotated and balanced."

These are just a few of the mounting frustrations with the continuing pothole repair work on Interstate 264.

"I am spending too much money on alignments and tires. The price of tires are going up. Alignments are going," Pulley said. "This stuff ain't cheap."

VDOT contractors have worked for the past nine days patching potholes and laying down cement. In the meantime, drivers are in almost standstill traffic and growing tired of waiting.

"What is it three, four o'clock? It's four o'clock in the afternoon traffic shouldn't be that the way it is right now," driver Marcus Gonzalez said. "It's backed up I don't know how many exits before here."

The suspended concrete repair work served another monkey wrench in driver's hopes of speedy pothole repairs on Interstate 264. VDOT officials say road crews typically apply concrete in 40 degree weather, and it takes five hours to set.

Starting Monday, concrete repairs will resume at 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday. That schedule will continue until Thursday. Crews will also be doing road work on Interstate 64 and Interstate 564.

Stay with WAVY.com and Wavy News 10 on air for continuing coverage.