Time Lapse of Southbound Powhite Parkway Mainline Toll Plaza Demolition

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Today, the Powhite Parkway is one of the most heavily-traveled corridors in the Richmond metropolitan area. Nearly 90,000 vehicles travel on the Powhite Parkway each day with that figure rising to more than 100,000 on peak days. From May until October 1996, extensive work to resurface the Powhite Parkway Bridge took place. The $2.8 million project involved replacing the deck surface with a concrete and latex mixture to extend the life of the facility. After re-striping, the number of northbound lanes on the bridge increased from four lanes to five.

Currently, the Powhite Parkway is undergoing an extensive construction project to widen the northbound and southbound lanes. The Split Plaza project is scheduled to be completed by fall 2008.

Drivers should be aware that the new shift will begin in conjunction with the demolition of a section of the Powhite Parkway mainline toll plaza canopy. Construction crews will remove two toll booths and a portion of the plaza canopy, beginning Friday, April 11, at 6 p.m. The work is scheduled to be completed by Sunday, April 13. Delays should be expected for southbound traffic during that weekend. In the event of rain, construction will take place the following weekend, April 18-20.

The new Powhite Parkway southbound toll plaza is scheduled to debut Saturday, April 12, as part of the Powhite Plaza Expansion/Split Plaza Project. With the opening of the new plaza, current southbound lanes will close to begin testing the new Open Road Toll (ORT) lane technology. All southbound traffic will be directed through the new plaza during this phase.

Upon completion in late summer, the Powhite Plaza Expansion/Split Plaza Project will introduce three ORT lanes, also known as express lanes, in each direction along the Parkway, allowing E-ZPass customers to travel at near highway speeds through barrier-free toll lanes. This project is the final phase of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority’s ambitious program, dating back to 2001, which will significantly reduce traffic congestion on the Parkway.

The official pronunciation is "POW-hite," in the same manner as you pronounce "Powhatan" and "Powder." The name comes from the name of the creek that the parkway follows. References to the creek by this name have been found in records more than 300 years old, and the creek probably was named by Native Americans who were in the area long before colonial settlers arrived.

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