I-564 begins within the reservation of Naval Station Norfolk where Admiral Taussig Boulevard becomes a four-lane freeway; this point is also the eastern terminus of SR 337. The boulevard continues west as a four-lane divided highway to its intersection with Hampton Boulevard at naval station gates 1 and 2, where SR 337 turns south onto Hampton Boulevard toward Downtown Norfolk. I-564 curves southeast through a trumpet interchange with the access road to gates 3 and 3A. The ramps to and from the interchange join the Interstate to form a six-lane freeway. I-564 descends into a tunnel to pass under the east–west runway of Chambers Field, a naval air station that has been consolidated with the larger naval base.[2][3]
East of the tunnel, I-564 heads southeast parallel to a rail line between the naval air station to the north and Camp Allen, a US Marine Corps base, to the south. The Interstate has a partial interchange with SR 406 (International Terminal Boulevard) that allows access to the highway to Norfolk International Terminals to and from the east. Within the interchange, eastbound I-564 has an exit for westbound I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway) and US 460 (Granby Street). As I-564 crosses over US 460, the eastbound freeway has a left exit to and the westbound Interstate has a left entrance from I-64's reversibleHOV lanes. Eastbound I-564 has an exit for SR 165 (Little Creek Road), which leads to SR 170, before the four-lane freeway merges into I-64 in the direction of Virginia Beach.[2][3]
History
I-564 replaced former SR 170, which linked Norfolk to northeastern North Carolina via North Carolina Highway 170. West of I-564, original SR 170 crossed a ferry to Hampton Roads, where it headed west along current I-64 to SR 30 northwest of Williamsburg.[4]
Future
Long-range plans may extend I-564 westward to Hampton/Newport News via a new bridge–tunnel. Traffic demands are increasing on I-64 and I-664. These are the only two connections between the eastern Tidewater cities with those to the northwest. The metropolitan area sees over 1.5 million people.[clarification needed] Therefore, extending I-564 would provide needed relief if the present bridges and tunnels are not expanded from their current capacity.[4]
Exit list
All exits were unnumbered until 2018 when the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) added exit numbers as part of the VDOT's I-564 Intermodal Connector project that started back in 2015.
The entire route is in Norfolk.