NORFOLK - In preparation for Tropical Storm Hanna, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will close the Midtown Tunnel at 10 p.m.tonight to test the tide gate.

This practice test is in addition to earlier VDOT gate tests that occur twice each year to ensure they are working properly and that crews are prepared to close the gate for possible flooding conditions.

Motorists planning to use the Midtown Tunnel should expect a 30-minute delay and consider the Downtown Tunnel as an alternate route.

With the help of Virginia Department of Emergency Management and local governments, VDOT continues to develop and maintain guidelines to safely close area bridges and tunnels during inclement weather.
 
These guidelines allow crews enough time to close and evacuate these structures before high tides. Facility closures are based on winds, storm surge, rain bands and actual conditions at the facility.

Highway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia State Police — challenges you to help prevent highway fatalities.

• Buckle up.
• Avoid distractions.
• Share the road.
• Drive drug- and alcohol-free.
• Obey speed limits.

For up-to-date traffic and travel information, visit www.511Virginia.org, call 511 or VDOT's TrafficLine at (757) 361-3016 and listen to 610AM.

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Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.

Page last modified: Oct. 15, 2012