12 The Hampton Roads Messenger
Volume 15 Number 4
Around Hampton Roads Centerville Turnpike Bridge
closed until further notice The Centerville Turnpike Bridge remains closed to vehicular traffic after being struck by a barge the morning of Nov. 14, 2020.
The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident with the City’s cooperation.
The bridge sustained structural, mechanical, and electrical damage in the incident, and City staff alongside contractors will place the bridge on jacks on approximately Dec. 23, 2020, to complete the inspection. The full inspection is expected to be complete by Jan. 11, 2021, with full repair plans expected to be ready by Jan. 31, 2021.
The current estimated cost of repairs is $2.86 million. Repairs are currently expected to be complete by May 31, 2021. NOTE: These are current estimates, and this information may change based on potential additional findings or unforeseen delays in the repair process. A request for emergency appropriation of funds will be presented to City Council in January. All costs are being tracked, and the City will pursue cost recovery from parties deemed responsible for the incident.
Motorists should use Rt. 168 Chesapeake Expressway as the primary detour route. More information will be released as it becomes available.
Funds available for help with utility bills for people impacted by COVID-19
Hampton Roads residents and businesses struggling with past-due water and wastewater bills because of COVID-19 are eligible for some relief. Funds are limited, so people are advised to submit applications quickly.
People with overdue direct charges occurring between March 1 - Dec. 30, 2020, are eligible for assistance. To qualify, residents must self-certify they have experienced COVID-related issues that have caused economic hardship such as: job layoffs; job loss due to employment closings; reduction in work hours; staying home to care for children due to daycare and school closings; or lost child or spousal support. Relief also covers those who have been unable to work or missed work due to contracting COVID-19; unable to find work due to COVID-19; or unable to participate in their previous employment due to a high risk of severe illness.
The local utilities will provide assistance to residents and businesses with COVID-related past due balances until Jan. 27, 2021 or until the funding runs out. The funds are from the federal CARES Act through the Commonwealth of Virginia Municipal Utility Relief Program.
“We are urging qualifying Hampton Roads residents and small business owners to apply for this funding today, not tomorrow,” said Edward G. Henifin, general manager of Hampton Roads Sanitation District. “The process is quick and easy, but the funds are only available for a limited time.”
Applications for assistance with HRSD bills can be found here. Applications for Newport News Waterworks are here. People can also call Waterworks' customer service at 757-926-1000.
“The application process is simple and requires little time and documentation,” said Whitney Katchmark, a principal water resources engineer with the regional Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. “We want residents to take advantage of this relief program now because once the funds are gone, they’re gone.”
COVID-19 relief available to Newport News Waterworks customers
January 2020
unable to continue to work due to a high risk of severe illness.
Newport News Waterworks has limited funds available to customers with past due bills that are a result of the criteria above. To apply, complete the form online and email it to
wwcs@nnva.gov. You may also place completed and signed forms in the drop box outside the Waterworks office in City Center (700 Town Center Drive). Applications for support from Newport News Waterworks must be received by February 12, 2021 (deadline extended!). If you have previously received CARES ACT money for a specific water utility bill, you are not eligible to receive funding for the same bill.
For more information, contact Newport News Waterworks Customer Service Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 757-926-1000. To provide additional support, Waterworks has extended customer service hours on select days. Customer Service representatives will be available from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on January 4 – 7.
Representatives will also be available from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 9 and Saturday, January 16. You can email Customer Service at
wwcs@nnva.gov; please note “Request for CARES Assistance” in the subject line.
For additional information on Hampton Roads COVID Utility Relief, visit
HRUtilityRelief.com.
RISE announces $1.5 Million 2021 Coastal Community
Resilience Challenge NORFOLK, Virginia - On December 11, 2020 RISE announced the launch of the 2021 Coastal Community Resilience Challenge. The Challenge will award a total of $1.5 million to small businesses with innovative flood- resilience solutions.
Businesses can apply for up to $350,000 to advance and pilot cutting-edge products and services in the areas of Flood Management & Infrastructure, Data Analytics, Protection of Buildings and Re-establishing Critical Utilities. In addition to funding, winning teams will get access to resources from the RISE Resilience Innovation Hub & Testbed including a business accelerator, co-working office and testing space, real-world pilot sites, and introductions to regional municipalities and other stakeholders, among other benefits.
RISE will work with winning teams to pilot their approaches in a “living laboratory” environment across the Hampton Roads region in coastal Virginia, with the goal of building economically viable businesses and solutions that are scalable to other communities.
“Our past Challenges were so well received, and the responses so inspiring, we saw the need to repeat the process, and to focus the Challenge on more specific problems,” said RISE’s Executive Director, Paul Robinson, Ph.D. “We’re building a resilience hub of innovators in Hampton Roads and look forward to adding more companies. We are establishing Hampton Roads as ground zero for resilience entrepreneurship.”
New to this year’s Challenge, RISE is incentivizing new applicants to partner with 15 current finalists and winners of its three previous Challenges. The organization sees this as a way to build on the expertise and innovative solutions already under development and enable even greater advancements for coastal communities worldwide.
“Gov. Northam’s recent announcement about new actions to improve coastal resilience in Virginia illustrates the continued need for solutions that help communities adapt to flooding," said RISE Chief Strategy Officer, Katerina Oskarsson, Ph.D. "Since 2018, RISE has been a one-stop-shop for 27 resilience entrepreneurs and small businesses piloting their novel products. To date we’ve provided more than $4 million in funding and support, and we’re excited to expand our community of innovators with this new Challenge."
Some of the innovations currently underway include solutions that reroute drivers in real-time to avoid flooded roads as well as mobile manufacturing units that produce custom shoreline protection structures to mitigate flooding faster, safer, and more affordably. The new Challenge incorporates pain points identified by coastal community stakeholders including Virginia municipalities.
The year 2020 was difficult and many continue to suffer financially due to the coronavirus and its impact on individuals, families, the economy and workplaces. For residents and small business owners facing past due utility bills as a result of COVID-19, help has arrived. Thanks to funding received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Hampton Roads water and wastewater utilities created the Municipal Utility Relief Program to provide assistance to residents and businesses with COVID-related past due balances.
If you have overdue water and wastewater utility bill charges that occurred between March 1 and December 30, 2020, you may be eligible for assistance. To receive funding, you must self-certify that COVID-related issues caused economic hardship. This includes layoffs or job losses due to business closings, a reduction in work hours, or the need to stay home to provide childcare because of school or daycare closures or a loss in child or spousal support. Relief also covers those who have been unable to work or who have missed work due to contracting COVID-19, those who have been unable to find employment because of the pandemic, or residents who are
The Challenge application deadline is March 15, 2021. For more information on the 2021 Challenge, past winners and to sign up for Challenge webinars please visit
www.riseresilience.org.
Elizabeth River Crossings sale to Abertis Infraestructuras
finalized RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced that Abertis Infraestructuras, in consortium with Manulife Investment Management, has finalized the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners II (“MIP II”) and Skanska.
As a result, Abertis will operate and maintain the Downtown and Midtown
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