Cleveland Street and Columbus Street would be reconstructed from Witchduck Road to Independence Boulevard. The intersection of Cleveland Street, Dorset Avenue, and Euclid Road would be realigned and reconstructed to a single-lane roundabout which replaces the existing traffic signal. This would improve safety while also providing a better network alignment for Dorset Avenue to Southern Boulevard for improved and more direct access to I-264 which would improve traffic operations. The roadway reconstruction would also manage property access in areas where it is currently unrestricted with the long-term goal of creating an urban grid with continuous block segments along Cleveland Street and Columbus Street. Individual parcel access would be provided to/from the north/south side streets which also improves safety and congestion through improved access management.

The project would not directly increase vehicle through capacity; however, capacity would be increased by constructing a center, two-way-left turn lane. Currently, left-turn movements are shared with the through movements throughout the corridor. The center left-turn lane would improve safety and traffic flow by providing a continuous refuge for left-turn movements throughout the project area. Sidewalks would be buffered from the vehicle lanes with a four to six-foot-wide landscape area. Existing overhead utilities would be relocated to a new overhead location and LED streetlights would be provided.

The proposed improvements will also include replacement of the traffic signal at Kellam Road and the emergency traffic signal at Virginia Beach Fire Station #7, as well as traffic signal modifications at Witchduck Road and Independence Boulevard.

Improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure would be introduced with the roadway reconstruction and in accordance with the City’s adopted Complete Streets Policy to provide safe and attractive travel options for all users. There is currently no bicycle infrastructure, the sidewalk network does not meet ADA standards, and there are sidewalk gaps that require pedestrians to either use the roadway, grass, or parking lots. The project would construct continuous five-foot wide (minimum) sidewalk on both sides of the roadway. On-street buffered bike lanes would be constructed on both sides of Cleveland Street from Witchduck Road to Dorset Avenue. Between Dorset Avenue and Independence Boulevard, all pedestrian and bicycle improvements would transition off street in the form of bike paths, sidewalks, and side paths. These facilities would vary from eight-feet to 12-feet in width and provide the highest level of pedestrian and bicyclist safety being physically separated from vehicular traffic. These facilities would tie into the recently completed pedestrian facilities to the west over I-264 to Newtown Road and to the east across Independence Boulevard into Town Center, approximately 3-miles in length. There currently is not continuous ADA pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within the project area.

The existing stormwater infrastructure is deficient in some areas along the corridor and portions of the project area experience localized flooding. The project would construct a new drainage network with increased storage, upsize some of the existing drainage pipes, and construct a level two wet pond on the parcels easterly adjacent to Aragona Boulevard to manage stormwater and alleviate flooding. Further, the level one wet pond northwest of the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Dorset Avenue will be shifted west to accommodate the alignment shift on Dorset Avenue.

Franchise utility relocations along the corridor are anticipated to include moving up to twenty-four (24) power poles carrying three-phase power at the intersections of Dorset Avenue and Kellam Road and along the corridor between Opal Avenue and mobile home parcel. Approximately 10 of the 24 power poles also carry overhead cable, telephone, and fiber optic communication lines that will be relocated with the power poles. It is anticipated that overhead crossings will be relocated underground and that any overhead lines along the corridor will similarly be underground. Proposed franchise utility easements are proposed along the corridor in areas of these relocations across those private properties fronting the corridor and not included in the total acquisitions. Public utility impacts will include the removal and replacement of water and sanitary sewer services to the adjacent parcels as well as replacement of aged and undersized sanitary sewer and water mains within the corridor. Additional offsets or relocations of both public and franchise utilities are probable as conflicts with the proposed storm sewer design are identified and resolved.