Target Completion Date: April 22, 2009 Safety, Operations, and Traffic Engineering
Much thought, effort, and resources have gone into developing Virginia’s hurricane evacuation plan. As with most states, however, the operational characteristics of the plan at a microscopic level (e.g., how fast traffic will move, where the queuing will occur, how long the queues will be) are not known. The evacuation planning documents previously developed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) adequately describe the numbers of evacuating vehicles, where they will originate, and what route the drivers will likely take as they leave the region. It does so at a macroscopic level and does not attempt to determine how vehicles will get from their origin to their desired evacuation route.
The purpose of this study is to determine where trouble spots might occur based on ramp loading, mainline congestion, or other operational difficulties and to provide an opportunity to address them prior to the need to implement an evacuation of the Hampton Roads region.
Last updated: July 5, 2023