Background on the interchange: The Meadowville technology park has been planned for at least 20 years now, and has just started to come into its own in the past five. While it's close to the already-existing VA 10 exit just a mile away, the Meadowville interchange deposits traffic closer to its planned "center", which is right now still undeveloped for the most part. There are also truck restrictions on some of the existing roads to the technology park, and this exit bypasses them. Proposed for almost as long as I-295 has extended this far (I have a few early-90's ADC maps showing the proposed interchange), construction started just over a year ago. and it opened Thursday. The first link shows the layout of the interchange: a diamond with room for future expansion to a cloverleaf if warranted.
I approached the interchange from the south, taking VA 10 eastbound to I-295. My 6-year-old camera's battery died for good as I got onto the interstate, so this also became a camera test for my new Droid Bionic. Because of that, I missed the first overhead for the exit. Here's the second one, though. Note the merge lane to the right, which is continuous from VA 10's exit.
Approaching the exit, for some reason the 618 shield in this overhead was all the way on the left. Also, the overheads denote road as Meadowville Technology Parkway, which only exists in right-of-way form.
Northbound gore sign.
On the northbound exit ramp.
All the shields on the surface were ovals! Here's the first pair I saw.
Waypoints sign, which for some reason only had westbound destinations.
Two more oval shields as I approached the surface.
I-295 trailblazer at the northbound ramps, facing eastbound traffic. The first thing I noticed about these I-295 shields is that the font is small enough that perhaps someone wanted to add Virginia to the shields, but ultimately didn't. If the numbers were spaced slightly closer together, they could be placed low enough on the shield for Virginia to fit easily. If the font was small enough they could fit on the shield as it is now.
I went straight across first and turned around at VA 5. Here I was transitioning from blacktop to concrete as I got back onto the interstate.
Merging, heading towards the James River Bridge.
The first I-295 shield north of the interchange, at the foot of the James River Bridge.
Ascending the James River Bridge. For some reason the left lane was closed in both directions.
Approaching the apex of the bridge.
Blurry shot descending the bridge. Just past the apex, the solid white line appeared, indicating no passing was allowed.
The construction area ends descending the bridge. You can see where the solid white line ends in the background. From here I turned around at the next exit, VA 5.
Now approaching the work zone southbound, here is the warning for the speed dropping to 65. I'm not sure what that sign in the ditch was.
One of the unexpected things I found out about my Bionic's camera is that it takes wider shots than my other cameras did. I found this useful in several of these dual-sign photos, like this one.
And this one. Those say "left lane closed ahead".
The shutter speed was also faster, meaning pictures ended up being farther from the target than I was used to.
Same goes for this photo. Here the speed limit was going to drop to 55. I was the only one who obliged, mainly because I was driving and operating a camera in a construction zone.
Here the speed limit dropped to 55. That's not the bridge in the background as the next photo will prove.
The left lane closure begins.
Southbound overhead for the exit. There's no room on the bridge for one.
Blurry overheads for both exits 15 and 16, with the 618 shield again on the far left side. This was just after the bridge.
Southbound gore sign. The sun highlighted how dirty my windshield is, despite the fact that it had just rained the night before.
The first set of ovals on the southbound offramp. This was the only photo I cropped to 640x480, due to excessive glare in the deleted portion.
Waypoints sign southbound, with destinations in both directions.
Two more ovals southbound.
Oval reassurance shield westbound. From here I turned around.
Approaching the exit eastbound, the first I-295 shield.
Two I-295 trailblazers eastbound.
Waypoints sign eastbound.
Approaching the southbound ramps eastbound. Like my initial pass, that SUV in the background went up the ramp and back down it onto the interstate.
At the southbound ramps.
In between the ramps now. As you can see there's plenty of room to make this a cloverleaf.
While the rest of the surface-level of the interchange is 4 lanes, the overpass is 2 lanes. Here I was descending the overpass and approaching the northbound ramps.
Approaching the northbound ramps.
At the intersection with the northbound ramps. I just cut off that 295 shield on the right side of the photo.
Oval reassurance shield eastbound. From here I turned back around and headed westbound.
Blurry photo of the westbound approach.
The first I-295 shield westbound.
Two trailblazers westbound.
Waypoints sign westbound.
Two trailblazers at the northbound ramps.
At the northbound ramps again.
Just past the overpass, approaching the southbound ramps.
Getting into the turn lane to head southbound.
Looking towards the southbound onramp. In the background in the left side of the photo, between the wooden pole and the traffic light's mast arm, you can see where Meadowville Rd used to tie in. From here I got onto the interstate, got off at VA 10 eastbound and went to a gas station.
After the gas station I headed westbound towards Chester. I tried to get a surface-level photo of the first overhead that I initally missed. You can barely see it in the background.
The reason I went back to Chester was to get a picture of this I-95 trailblazer that survives from the days when the interstate was tolled. The Toll banner may see the light of day again one day, depending on where and how I-95 is tolled. From here I went home.
The punctuation is inconsistent, and on the waypoint signs, it's nonstandard. I wonder what contractor VDOT awarded this project to...
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