City of Staunton

June 18, 2026 – Work on the New Street tunnel sections will begin the week of June 29, as the Byers Street site for the Downtown Tunnel Repairs project progresses ahead of schedule. Favorable spring weather has allowed the city and its contractor to accelerate this work and mitigate the risk of winter delays.

This early start means work on New Street will run concurrently with the final stages of the Byers Street repairs.

City Council will receive an update on these projects as part of the June 25 City Council Work Session beginning at 5 p.m.

“Virginia Infrastructure has been a great partner to work with on this complex project,” said City Engineer Lyle Hartt. “Because of their efficiency and steady progress, advancing to the New Street repairs is the most logical next step. It puts us in a much stronger position to finish the project on schedule next spring, while ensuring downtown businesses remain accessible.”

New Street Repairs (Beginning Week of June 29)

Work on New Street will be less invasive than the Byers Street work, as it involves replacing only the downstream segment of the tunnel ceiling rather than the full walls.

• Traffic: South New Street will remain open to vehicular traffic, but the travel lane will shift to the right side of the street.
• Parking Impacts: To safely accommodate the traffic shift and contractor equipment, 11 on-street parking spaces on South New Street will be temporarily unavailable. Additionally, up to 20 spaces in the western portion of the RMA lot will be fenced off for a staging area.
• Visitors are encouraged to utilize the nearby New Street Parking Garage, which remains open and fully accessible.

Byers Street Repairs (Expected Completion in August)

Crews have successfully removed the compromised tunnel structure under Byers Street and completed the new concrete foundations and stem walls. The site will see a temporary slowdown in activity while the city awaits the delivery of the prefabricated upper tunnel sections in mid-July.

Once those sections are installed, Byers Street is expected to reopen to traffic in August. Upon reopening, it will operate as a one-way eastbound route to serve as the primary detour for non-truck traffic during the upcoming Johnson Street work.

Johnson Street Repairs & Upcoming Tree Prep

While full excavation for the Johnson Street repairs will not begin until after Byers Street reopens in August, the public will see some preliminary prep work in the coming weeks. Four trees along the west side of the Wharf on Johnson Street will be removed to allow for the relocation of overhead utility lines. Nine parking spaces in the western Wharf will be blocked off only on the specific days the trees are being removed.

When the Johnson Street work officially begins in August, the road will be closed to westbound traffic at Augusta Street and to eastbound traffic at the entrance to the Johnson Street Parking Garage. Pedestrian access to the Wharf will be securely maintained on both sides of the closure from Central Avenue and the garage entrance.

Despite this upcoming closure, downtown parking capacity will actually increase during this work. Currently, during the Byers Street construction, there are 115 parking spaces available in the Wharf and along Byers Street. When the work on Johnson Street begins, a total of 147 parking spaces will be available because most of the eastern side of the Wharf parking lot and Byers Street will have reopened. Parking in the Wharf lot and Johnson Street Garage will continue to be free during this time. The Johnson Street tunnel repairs are still on track for completion in spring of 2027.

Detailed maps regarding these upcoming parking changes, road closures, and detours are available on the city's dedicated project webpage.

The $4.6 million Downtown Tunnel Repairs project addresses aging underground infrastructure discovered during structural evaluations in 2025. These repairs will resolve the structural concerns that required street closures, prioritizing public safety and the return of normal traffic flow to downtown. Funding is provided through the city’s Infrastructure Capital Improvements Fund.

For the latest project timelines, parking diagrams, and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.staunton.va.us/tunnelrepairs.