CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A third travel lane on Interstate 64 has opened in Chesapeake.

It’s good news for drivers after years of work in the area.

The new lane in each direction is between Bowers Hill and the I-464 interchange. The work is part of the High Rise Bridge expansion project.

There will be three lanes in each direction, which you will be able to drive toll-free for the next several weeks.

The new lanes, combined with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s recent conversion of previous HOV-2 restricted lanes into express lanes between I-464 and I-264, makes up the new Hampton Roads express lanes Chesapeake segment that runs from the Bowers Hill interchange in Chesapeake to the I-264 interchange in Norfolk.

Source: Virginia Department of Transportation

Drivers may see lane closures during daytime and overnight hours as crews test and install the rest of the white delineator posts and put in the pavement markings.

Tolling is not expected to begin before March 17. Solo drivers can use free general purpose lanes or the express lanes with an E-ZPass. Vehicles with two or more passengers can use the express lanes free with a required E-ZPass Flex transponder switched to HOV-On.

Also, the tolling operations schedule for the existing I-64 Norfolk reversible express lanes between I-264 and I-564 will also transition to continuous, full-time high-occupancy tolling as soon as the tolling for the Chesapeake express lanes begins.

Eventually, the Chesapeake and Norfolk express lanes will be part of a continuous 45-mile express lanes network on I-64 from Bowers Hill in Chesapeake to Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News.