Southbound Kempsville Road Closures the weekends of March 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26

We have received the following update from VDOT: There will be full southbound/one-lane northbound closures of Kempsville Road, and they are currently planned for the following dates:

• 4 a.m. Saturday, March 10, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 12
• 4 a.m. Saturday, March 17, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 19
• 4 a.m. Saturday, March 24, to 5 a.m. Monday, March 26

A detour (map below) will direct traffic to turn left on Center Drive and right on Newton Road, back to Kempsville Road.

These closures are due to construction starting on the deck structure for the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Project.

Thanks to Dave Forster from VDOT for keeping us up to date about these changes.

 

Southbound Kempsville Road closures the weekends of Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26

VDOT is installing steel girders for the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Project.

We have received the following update from VDOT:

Kempsville Road will close to southbound traffic under I-264 from 9 p.m. Friday until as late as 5 a.m. Monday the following two weekends (Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26). A third weekend closure (March 2-5) is possible.

A detour (map below) will direct traffic to turn left on Center Drive and right on Newton Road, back to Kempsville Road.

Graphic via VDOT

The closures are necessary to install steel girders over Kempsville Road for the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Project.

Northbound traffic on Kempsville Road will also be stopped for up to 20 minutes at a time during the weekend closures. Outside of those stoppages, the inside lane of northbound Kempsville Road will be open to motorists. The lane closures will extend from the signal at Center Drive to approximately Blackstone Street. The sidewalks will not be accessible this weekend for walking between Fortis College and First Baptist Norfolk.

DETAILS FOR SUNDAY

• Access to our church entrance will remain open.
• The sidewalk to the east of the northbound lanes of traffic will be closed.
• The north exit will be closed to traffic because a girder truck will be parking in the North Driveway, closing that exit and the loop around the back of the building.
• The handicapped parking next to Kempsville Road will be closed because the north exit is blocked. The prayer garden will serve as handicapped parking for this weekend.
• Blackstone Street and the parking lot across Kempsville Road will be accessible.
• The access road between the field is open.
• The shuttles will run this Sunday between all three offsite parking locations: Fortis College, Cross Roads Center, and HRT (The Tide). Drop-off and pickup will be in the prayer garden. Allow extra time for the shuttle routes this Sunday.

Thanks to Dave Forster from VDOT for keeping us up to date about these changes.

 

 

 

I-264E Exit 15a (Newtown Road South) Closed 11/4 – 11/6, 2017

Road closure details:

• Rescheduled from last weekend
• 4 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday | November 4-6
  
• Exit 15a from I-264 Eastbound will be closed
• Motorists will need to use Exit 15b (Newtown Road North) and Center Drive as a detour

Detour:

If you live in Norfolk, Chesapeake, western Virginia Beach, Moyock, or Suffolk, and use I-264 East, please plan extra time to arrive for worship or your LIFEgroup this Sunday. Motorists that normally use Exit 15a to Newtown Road South will need to use Exit 15b this Sunday. Once on Newtown road northbound, make the next left onto Center Drive to reach Kempsville Road.

There are no closures on Kempsville Road this weekend.

Reason for the closure:

The weekend closure of Exit 15A will allow crews to complete temporary pavement work at the ramp so traffic can be shifted slightly to the left as it exits the interstate. This new traffic pattern will be in place upon completion of the weekend closure of Exit 15A. After the traffic shift on the exit ramp, motorists will continue to have the same access to Newtown and Greenwich roads as they do currently. More background on the project is at www.i64i264improvements.org.

 

Thanks to Dave Forster with VDOT for details on this closure.

September 2017 VDOT Update

Read the I-64/I-264 Interchange September 2017 VDOT update here.

Church approves motion to accept lease agreement for Volvo Parkway property

During the Sept. 17 Campus Catalyst Meeting, the church discussed and voted to approve a three-year lease agreement for a property at 1516 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake, as our second location. Launching this new location is a part of our Ten-Year Vision, and more specifically, our One-Year Goal:

First Norfolk Advance: Between January and December 2017, we will launch a new location in our multi-site strategy.

This building on Volvo Parkway began as a church plant more than 10 years ago, but the church plant went out of business and a finance group purchased the partially-finished facility. The building has never been used and is in great condition. This facility works well for our purposes as it already includes a worship center and has three stories (plenty of space for student, young adult, adult, children, and preschool ministries). There are some construction projects that the owners will finish, and this will leave us to furnish the space with things like lighting, sound, furniture, and technology.

There are 170 parking spots for the building, which could present a potential challenge for significant future growth. However, this many spots give us parking for approximately 400 people. If/when we have more than 400 people attending church, we would then move to two gatherings at that location.

Our lease ownership begins on Oct. 1 (we are leasing this building, not purchasing it). Pastor Eric said that we plan to use October to finish and furnish the facility, and then plan a “soft launch” of the campus in November as we get our leadership teams (staff and lay people) in place. We plan to host some events at the location to help acclimate those who attend the church and people in the community to this new campus. We are planning for a “hard launch” of the new campus in January 2018. Currently, we are calling this location “First Norfolk on Volvo Parkway.” Brent Wilson, Minister to Young Adults, will be the pastor at this location.

In other news, we have a new trial date with VDOT for May 7-11, 2018. In July, VDOT’s continuance request was granted. We are still hopeful for mediation in the near future.

CALL TO PRAYER

• Pray for God’s glory to shine through us to the seven cities.
• Pray that hundreds of people far from God would be saved during this journey.
• Pray for the Volvo location.
• Pray for VDOT negotiations.

Kempsville Road Lane Closures moved to Oct. 6-9

UPDATE: VDOT has informed our church that the southbound Kempsville closure has been moved to weekend of Oct. 6-9. No closure this weekend (Sept. 29-Oct. 1). The closure will impact our Sunday morning traffic. Read more details from VDOT here.

If construction goes well, VDOT said they hope to finish and reopen southbound Kempsville Road before the start of our church services Sunday. However, they told us to prepare for the closure to extend through the entire weekend. If weather or other circumstances force a postponement, VDOT plans to reschedule this construction work for another time.

Road closure details:

• 7 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday | Oct. 6-9
• Southbound Kempsville Road will be completely closed from the stoplight at Center Drive to Blackstone Street.
• Northbound Kempsville Road will be reduced to one lane (the right lane) from Blackstone Street to Center Drive.

Detour:

Southbound traffic on Kempsville Road will be detoured to a left on Center Drive to a right on Newtown Road to a right on Kempsville Road. Maps shown below.

First Baptist will continue to have access via the northbound lanes of Kempsville Road. The exact location of where the two northbound lanes will be reduced to one lane has yet to be determined. It will be after the first entrance, but setback requirements for the lane closure may force the taper to begin at or near the second entrance at Blackstone Road. The third entrance/exit will remain accessible via the one lane of northbound Kempsville Road.

What You Need to Know

1. The sidewalk along the northbound lanes of Kempsville Road will remain open

2. The west annex parking (across the street) is accessible via Blackstone Street only.

3. Pedestrian traffic will be able to cross Kempsville Road except in the work area.

4. All 3 entrance/exits to the church campus are usable.

5. There will not be construction traffic on the church campus.

6. Allow extra time to get into the building.

7. All scheduled church activities will take place.

If you have any questions, please comment below.

Disregard the dates above this image — this map still applies to the closures Oct. 6-9. 

Volunteers needed for Hurricane Harvey & Irma Disaster Relief teams

By Bob Williams

Volunteers are needed for Southern Baptist relief efforts following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma to prepare thousands of hot meals and perform flood recovery, tree and debris removal, and cleaning services to restore survivors’ homes. Southern Baptist volunteers bring hope to affected persons through presence, humanitarian relief, emotional solace, and spiritual care (affirming or sharing the Living Hope of Jesus).

Will you serve for a week on one of the disaster relief teams being formed? First Baptist Church of Norfolk undertakes disaster relief activities through the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV). Volunteers may be certified/credentialed Southern Baptist disaster relief (DR) workers or Southern Baptist Send Relief volunteers. All volunteers must either be credentialed as a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief responder or complete a 2.5 online training course to be a Send Relief worker. If you will volunteer, please take one of the following three actions to register for service:

1.    If you are a DR worker with current credentials, please register at this website:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c48afa729a4ff2-credentialed

2. If you’ve been previously trained in DR, but your credentials have expired, please register at this website:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c48afa729a4ff2-noncredentialed

3. If you have never been trained in DR, but desire to go as part of a team in partnership with Send Relief, please register at this website:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c48afa729a4ff2-send

For DR workers who are trained and current, you will be on the first teams deployed and some of you will be asked to provide leadership to those who are untrained and part of Send Relief.

For DR workers who are trained but not current, you will need to complete the online training course at this website:

https://www.udemy.com/sbcv-introduction-to-disaster-relief/

Be sure to use the discount coupon code SBCVDR so that there will be no cost.  You will be placed on teams with both DR and Send Relief volunteers.

For those who have never been trained in DR, you also need to complete the online training course at this website:

https://www.udemy.com/sbcv-introduction-to-disaster-relief/

Be sure to use the discount coupon code SBCVDR.  You will be assigned to a team with SBCV DR.  You will be assigned a specific task that is related to the online training.  Since you are not fully trained and credentialed (which includes a background check), you will be assigned to a team after the first week or two of response (as part of our agreement with FEMA).  Also, you will not be able to operate certain equipment (like chainsaws), but will be assigned other vital tasks within the team.  You will be assigned to a team and be expected to follow the instructions and direction of the team leader.

There will be opportunities to respond for many weeks and even months.  If you desire to go, we will find a team for you to serve on.

Please be in prayer for:

• families affected
• first responders and National Guard
• all agencies that prepare and plan
• teams and volunteers as they go

We are pleased to announce that to date, First Norfolk has donated more than $11,800.00 toward Disaster Relief response for Southeast Texas/Louisiana relief from Hurricane Harvey. These funds will be used for providing meals for those in need and support for teams serving in our mud-out units helping clean out homes that were flooded during this storm in order to minimize further damage by allowing them to be dried out for future repair.

For further information, contact Bob Williams at RobertFarrisWilliams@Cox.net or call 757-641-4557.