If you live in Chic's Beach, Ocean Park, Baylake Pines, or anywhere along the Shore Drive corridor, you have already seen the construction east of the Lesner Bridge. Crews are out. Traffic patterns are shifting. And the project is going to be part of daily life on this corridor for the next several years.

Here is the full picture: what is being built, why it matters, how long it will take, and what the Shore Drive corridor looks like when it is done.

What Is Shore Drive Phase III?

Shore Drive Phase III is an $85 million capital improvement project managed by the City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works. The project begins at Vista Circle near the eastern end of the Lesner Bridge and extends approximately 1.2 miles eastward through the Great Neck Road intersection, ending at Beech Street.

The contractor received notice to proceed on May 1, 2025. The contract completion date is October 12, 2028. Total construction contract value is $67 million. Total project cost including design, engineering, and related work is $85 million. This is one of the largest road improvement investments in the Shore Drive corridor's history.

Questions or concerns about the project can be directed to the City of Virginia Beach Public Works project manager Robert B. Simmons Jr. at 757-385-8064 or [email protected].

What Is Actually Being Built

The scope of Shore Drive Phase III is substantial. Here is exactly what the City of Virginia Beach has confirmed will be delivered:

1.2 miles of new road with curb and gutter from Vista Circle to Beech Street. This replaces aging infrastructure that has been deteriorating for decades.

Eight foot sidewalks on both sides of Shore Drive through the project corridor. The Shore Drive corridor has long lacked adequate pedestrian infrastructure, a frustration that residents and civic league members have been raising for nearly 20 years.

On street bike lanes running the length of the project. This creates a connected cycling corridor linking the Lesner Bridge multi-use path to the broader Shore Drive recreational network and eventually to the Cape Henry Trail and First Landing State Park.

A 10 foot wide shared use path from the Lesner Bridge to Jace Street providing a direct connection to the Cape Henry Trail system.

Raised medians with landscaping and hardscaping materials. This is a significant aesthetic upgrade for a corridor that has lacked the visual character matching its waterfront setting.

Storm drainage upgrades throughout the project area. Stormwater management has been one of the most significant ongoing challenges along Shore Drive. These improvements directly address flooding vulnerability that affects property owners along the corridor.

Relocation of some power lines underground or to new overhead locations. Underground utilities improve both aesthetics and resilience during storm events.

New and improved intersection design through the Great Neck Road intersection, which has long been one of the more congested and difficult to navigate points on the entire corridor.

Enhanced lighting throughout the project area.

The HAWK Signal at Cape Henry Trail

A separate but related pedestrian safety improvement is also underway on the corridor. A HAWK signal, which stands for High Intensity Activated CrossWalk, is being installed at the Cape Henry Trail crossing on Shore Drive. Construction began in May 2026 and is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2027.

A HAWK signal is a pedestrian activated traffic device. It stays dark until a pedestrian pushes the crossing button, at which point it activates to stop traffic. The Cape Henry Trail crossing on Shore Drive has been the site of dangerous near misses for years. This improvement is a direct response to documented safety concerns raised by residents and civic league members and has been described by community members as a potentially life saving addition to the corridor.

Where Things Stand Right Now

The City of Virginia Beach updated the project status on April 9, 2026. Here is the current state of work:

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District sewer force main has been installed along Shore Drive to West Great Neck Road. Tie in to existing sewer lines was scheduled for May 2026. Water main installation has been continuing during day and night shifts and is expected to be complete by summer 2026. Stormwater improvements are ongoing. New temporary traffic signals are being installed in conjunction with a new traffic pattern for the eastbound lanes between Vista Circle and Beech Street.

From May 1 through September 30, lane closures are anticipated only during the night shift. Daytime closures are not expected to resume until October 1, 2026. That is meaningful relief for summer traffic on the corridor.

The Community Has Been Waiting for This for a Long Time

This is not a new conversation on Shore Drive. Residents and civic league members have been raising the need for sidewalks, bike lanes, and stormwater improvements on this stretch of Shore Drive for close to two decades.

At the May 2025 Ocean Park Civic League meeting, City of Virginia Beach Public Works Project Manager Bill Purcell presented the full scope of the project to residents before construction began. The Ocean Park Civic League, which has been an active voice for Shore Drive improvements since its founding in 1944, documented the presentation and has been tracking the project closely. Virginia Beach resident Tim Solanic, speaking to WTKR 13 News Now in November 2025, captured the frustration and the relief that many Shore Drive residents share: the city was originally supposed to complete sidewalks and bike lanes on Shore Drive by 2007. The stormwater and sea level rise improvements being built now are more comprehensive than what would have been accomplished in the earlier timeline.

Property owner Adam Shield, also speaking to 13 News Now, acknowledged the traffic disruption while expressing support for the project outcome: Shore Drive has always been a safety risk for people walking or biking, and the improvements are what the community has been asking for across 20 to 25 years.

What This Means for Property Values

Infrastructure investment of this scale has documented positive effects on adjacent residential property values. Here is the straightforward case for Chic's Beach and the broader Shore Drive corridor:

The stormwater improvements directly address one of the most common concerns buyers raise about coastal property on this corridor. Flood vulnerability is a real factor in purchase decisions and insurance costs. Reducing that risk through engineered infrastructure improvements is a concrete value driver.

The sidewalks and bike lanes make the corridor more walkable and bikeable, which increases the lifestyle appeal that already draws buyers to Shore Drive. A neighborhood where residents can safely walk to Buoy 44, bike to the farmers market, and reach the Cape Henry Trail without sharing a lane with vehicles is a more desirable neighborhood than one without those connections.

The aesthetic upgrades including medians, landscaping, lighting, and underground utilities will change the visual character of this stretch of Shore Drive meaningfully. The before and after on comparable corridors in Hampton Roads shows consistent improvement in neighborhood perception and buyer interest following this level of investment.

The project is also a signal of long term city commitment to this corridor. An $85 million capital investment does not happen in neighborhoods that are declining in priority.

The Honest Trade Off

The disruption is real. Lane shifts, night work, traffic pattern changes, and the general inconvenience of a multi year construction project on a primary corridor are legitimate frustrations for residents and business owners. The bottleneck at the Lesner Bridge during active construction periods has been documented and acknowledged by the city and by local property owners.

The city has committed to limiting daytime lane closures between May 1 and September 30 each year, which is the most traffic sensitive period on the corridor. That is the right call for a summer coastal community and it is worth noting for anyone trying to plan around the schedule.

What Comes Next

Project completion is scheduled for late 2028. The improvements on the west side of Shore Drive near Ocean Park and the Lesner Bridge remain underfunded and are not expected to begin for some time, as noted by the Ocean Park Civic League. Shore Drive Phase III covers the stretch from Vista Circle east to Beech Street. The broader vision for the full corridor is a longer term effort.

If you have questions about the project, contact the City of Virginia Beach Public Works at 757-385-8064. For ongoing community updates, the Ocean Park Civic League at opcl.org is one of the most reliable sources of neighborhood level information on this corridor.

The full project details are available directly from the City of Virginia Beach at pw.virginiabeach.gov/roads/transportation-projects/shore-drive-phase-3.

If you are buying or selling on the Shore Drive corridor and want to understand how this project factors into your specific property and situation, call me directly.

📞 757-270-3994

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About the Author
John King is a Navy veteran and licensed real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway RW Towne Realty, serving Hampton Roads including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake. Known for his straightforward approach and market expertise.

📞 757-270-3994 📧 [email protected] 🌐 www.757King.com

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Sources and References:
City of Virginia Beach Public Works — Shore Drive Phase III Project Page (Updated April 9, 2026): pw.virginiabeach.gov/roads/transportation-projects/shore-drive-phase-3
Ocean Park Civic League — Shore Drive Construction East Side of Lesner Bridge Begins (June 24, 2025): opcl.org
WTKR 13 News Now — Residents say Shore Drive project could bring lasting positive changes (November 19, 2025): 13newsnow.com

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Written by John King, Navy veteran & REALTOR®, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices RW Towne Realty · (757) 270-3994 · About John