Driving Shore Drive these days feels like off-roading.

It’s early morning. I turn onto Shore Drive headed east, coffee in hand, and within about thirty seconds I’m navigating construction equipment, lane shifts, temporary signals, and pavement transitions that would challenge a capable truck. We have been dealing with construction crews and significant traffic since crews began work in May of 2025 at Vista Circle, east of the Lesner Bridge. And every single time I hit one of those transitions, I think “WTH”? 

I have watched Shore Drive get passed over, deprioritized, and deferred for two full decades. This project was first identified as a City Capital Improvement Project back in 2007. The flooding that has been part of every single buyer conversation on this corridor is finally being addressed at the infrastructure level. The utility lines that have defined the visual character of this stretch are going underground permanently.

Shore Drive Phase III is an $85 million capital improvement project from the City of Virginia Beach actively under construction right now, rebuilding approximately 1.2 miles of Shore Drive from Vista Circle at the eastern end of the Lesner Bridge east to Beech Street. Major elements of the work include demolition, paving, drainage, water, sewer, traffic signalization, street lighting, stormwater management, and landscaping.

The road itself. New pavement with curb and gutter from end to end. Not a patch. Not a resurface. A rebuild.

Sidewalks. Eight feet wide on both sides of Shore Drive for the full 1.2-mile stretch. Residents have been asking for sidewalks and improvements like these for 20 to 25 years. They are finally coming.

Bike lanes. On-street bike lanes running the full length of the project corridor.

The Cape Henry Trail connection. A 10-foot shared use path from the Lesner Bridge to Jace Street connecting directly into the Cape Henry Trail — one of the most beautiful off-road trail systems in all of Hampton Roads, finally accessible from Shore Drive without taking your life into your hands.

The HAWK Signal. A pedestrian-activated crossing signal at the Cape Henry Trail crossing on Shore Drive. Construction started May 2026 with completion expected in Q1 2027. This crossing has been dangerous for years. Anyone who uses the trail knows exactly what I mean.

Raised medians with landscaping and hardscaping. This is the detail that changes the visual identity of the corridor permanently. Shore Drive is going to look fundamentally different when this is done — in the best possible way.

Underground utilities. Power lines relocated underground. The overhead utility infrastructure that has defined the view along this stretch is going away.

A redesigned Great Neck Road intersection. One of the most congested and awkward intersections on the corridor, rebuilt from scratch.

Enhanced lighting throughout. The whole stretch.

 

HRSD sewer force main installation has been completed to West Great Neck Road. Water main installation continues during day and night shifts and is expected to be complete by summer 2026. Stormwater improvements are continuing. New temporary traffic signals are being installed ahead of the upcoming new traffic pattern.

Construction started May 1, 2025. From May 1 through September 30, lane closures are anticipated only during the night shift. Daytime closures are not expected to resume until October 1, 2026. Project completion is currently scheduled for late 2028.

Translation: your daytime commute is navigable right now. This fall, that changes. Plan accordingly.

What This Means If You Own Property on the Shore Drive Corridor

This is where I put my 27 years of Hampton Roads real estate experience to work — because this project has direct implications for property values along this corridor, and not all of them are obvious.

The flooding conversation is changing.

If you have ever tried to sell a home on or near Shore Drive, you know that flood risk comes up in almost every buyer conversation. Research shows that properties in 100-year floodplains typically sell for 4% to 13% less than comparable homes outside flood zones. The stormwater upgrades built into Phase III directly address the drainage vulnerability that has historically suppressed values and complicated buyer financing conversations on this corridor. Major stormwater infrastructure improvements do not eliminate flood risk — but they change the conversation. And in a market where flood concerns have affected buyer confidence for years, that matters. CLICK HERE TO do your home work on flood zones.

The lifestyle case is getting significantly stronger.

Eight-foot sidewalks. Bike lanes. A trail connection to Cape Henry. A safe pedestrian crossing. Raised medians with landscaping. These are not cosmetic upgrades — they are the infrastructure markers that define whether a corridor feels like a place people want to live or a road people drive through. Shore Drive is transitioning from the latter to the former. That transition is already priced into buyer expectations — but not yet fully priced into the market.

Underground utilities change the visual character permanently.

This is underappreciated. When the overhead lines come down and the visual clutter that has defined this stretch for decades disappears, the waterfront character of the corridor becomes the dominant impression. That visual shift has real value — and it compounds over time.

The $85 million signal.

The City of Virginia Beach just committed $85 million to this corridor. That is not a maintenance allocation. That is a statement of long-term commitment to Shore Drive as a priority. For property owners, that signal matters — it tells buyers that the city is invested in this area’s future, not managing its decline.

The 20-Year Wait Is Worth Knowing About

The Shore Drive Phase 3 Improvement Project was first identified as a City Capital Improvement Project in 2007. That is not a typo. Residents say they have been asking for sidewalks and improvements for 20 to 25 years. The Ocean Park Civic League and the WeLoveShoreDrive community have been tracking, advocating, and pushing for these improvements across multiple city council cycles. Both sites are a wealth of information for residents. The fact that construction is active right now is not a small thing — it is the result of years of sustained community advocacy finally reaching the finish line. If you own property on this corridor and you have felt like nobody was listening, well they are now! 

What to Do If You’re Thinking About Buying or Selling on This Corridor Right Now

The construction period is the moment when misinformed buyers walk away and informed buyers pay attention. I have seen this pattern on corridor projects before — the disruption of active construction suppresses short-term activity, and the period immediately following completion generates significant equity movement.

If you own property on Shore Drive and you are thinking about selling in the next 12 to 36 months, the timing of this project matters to your strategy. If you are a buyer who has been watching this corridor and wondering whether the construction period is the right time to move — that is exactly the conversation I want to have with you.

I know what it looks like right now and I know what it is going to look like when this is done. That context is part of what I bring to every conversation about property on this corridor.

 

By Chris Faircloth

📞 757.288.0983
📧 AgentFaircloth@gmail.com
📅 agentfaircloth.com

 

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