Roadways Serving the Military and Sea Level Rise / Storm Surge

In 2013, the HRTPO completed the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study: Roadways Serving the Military and Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge (PDF).

The Hampton Roads region contains one of the largest natural harbors in the world, making the region an attractive location for military facilities. This coastal location also makes many of these military facilities susceptible to projected relative sea level rise and potential storm surge threats, impacting overall defense readiness. The threat of flooding is a concern for the military in the region since military operations require a transportation network that moves cargo and personnel quickly and safely.

The impacts of relative sea level rise and storm surge have been recognized along the southeast coast for many years, particularly for low-lying communities such as Hampton Roads, Virginia. National, state, regional, and local organizations have participated (or are currently participating) in initiatives that address this pressing issue in order to raise awareness and develop potential solutions. This study (phase three) builds on previous studies and related work to estimate the relative sea level rise and potential storm surge threats to the "Roadways Serving the Military" network established in phase one of the Hampton Roads Military Transportation Needs Study. In the first phase, HRTPO staff reviewed the "Roadways Serving the Military" to determine deficient locations, such as congested segments, deficient bridges, and inadequate geometrics. This third phase of the study continues the work in phase one by determining flooding-based deficient locations along the roadway network. It expands upon the work and methodologies developed by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), by identifying military roadway segments vulnerable to submergence. Additionally, the submergence of other local roadways that provide access to and from the "Roadways Serving the Military" which may be vulnerable to flooding has been identified.

View Part III: Roadways Serving the Military and Sea Level Rise/Storm Surge.