The Public Works Engineering Group is comprised of seven divisions: Coastal Engineering, Construction/Surveys/QAQC, Engineering Support, Stormwater Engineering Center, Stormwater Management Regulatory, Traffic Engineering, and Transportation Engineering.
Coastal Engineering
The Coastal Engineering Division is responsible for planning, managing, and implementing the City's programs and projects related to shoreline protection, navigation dredging, and beach management. They also work in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to execute federal flood protection, beach nourishment, navigation dredging, and environmental enhancement projects in Virginia Beach. The Coastal Engineering Division is the Staff liaison to the Council-appointed Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission.
Construction/Surveys/QA-QC
The Construction, Surveys, and QA-QC division is the largest division in the Engineering Group and consists of three bureaus. The Construction Bureau provides inspection of public infrastructure projects, including coordinating and documenting contract requirements, ensuring compliance with construction specifications and industry standards, monitoring project schedules, change order negotiations, approval of payment requests, work zone safety management, and compliance with federal and state funding requirements. The QA-QC Bureau also conducts Quality Assurance – Quality Control and constructability reviews of CIP projects during the design process to minimize the impact of projects on the public and to reduce construction costs. The Surveys Bureau provides location services to facilitate the design, acquisition, maintenance, and construction of City infrastructure. They are also responsible for maintenance of the City’s Horizontal and Vertical Geodetic control network used for the identification and location of all properties and improvements within the City and City Council mandated hydrographic surveys of Rudee Inlet and other major waterways to monitor shoaling for dredging and improved navigation.
Engineering Support
The Engineering Support Division is responsible for providing administrative, clerical, personnel, budgetary, procurement, engineering, and technical services as well as setting program management policies and direction for the seven (7) divisions within the City Engineer’s Office. The division coordinates the annual Coastal, Flood Protection, Roadways and Stormwater Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Sections as well as the annual Operating Budget for the Engineering Group. Engineering Support is also responsible for pursuing and overseeing all competitive Federal and State grant opportunities and earmarks associated with infrastructure improvements, including post-award grant management.
Stormwater Engineering Center
The Stormwater Engineering Center is responsible for the planning, programming, management, and implementation of projects related to the Flood Protection Program in Virginia Beach. This program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the issue of recurrent flooding and sea-level rise. The division oversees the development of the City's long-term Stormwater Master Plan, which identifies projects in each drainage basin to mitigate the effects of recurrent flooding and sea-level rise. Additionally, it manages the City's Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy and the US Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Storm Risk Management Study, which addresses the risk caused by storm surge flooding, waves, and erosion. The division also serves as the Staff Liaison to the Flood Prevention Bond Referendum Oversight Board, a 7-member board made up of residents responsible for providing the City Council with briefings every quarter on the progress of projects included in the Flood Protection Program.
Stormwater Management Regulatory
The Stormwater Management Regulatory Division (SWMR) is responsible for oversight and implementation of the City's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the City’s Environmental Management Program. The role of this division in implementation of the MS4 permit involves three primary areas; the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (VESMP); stormwater quality improvement projects; and stormwater pollution prevention programs. The VESMP involves project design reviews for stormwater compliance, offsite nutrient management program, DEQ construction permitting, construction inspections, as-built reviews for stormwater, and staff training. As part of the stormwater quality improvement program this division identifies locations for improvements throughout the watersheds that have water quality impairments, implements Total Maximum Daily Load actions plans, and conducts surface water quality monitoring and evaluations. The pollution prevention programs include investigating illicit discharges into the stormwater system, oversight of stormwater pollution prevention plans for City facilities, industrial inspections, staff training, regulatory support, interdepartmental coordination, reporting, and public education and outreach. This division is also responsible for implementing the stormwater utility fee discount program and provides support for stormwater utility fee billings. The Environmental Management Office serves as the technical expert for regulatory compliance support for the City and development and implementation of the City’s Environmental Management Program.
Traffic Engineering
The Traffic Engineering division is responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of traffic on the City's roadways. The division ensures that all roadway and development plans are compliant with relevant Local, State, and Federal laws, ordinances, policies, procedures, and design standards. The division works together with other departments such as Police, Planning, Public Schools, Public Utilities, and Parks and Recreation to develop comprehensive traffic safety programs, red-light enforcement cameras, traffic control for special events, bicycle programs, pedestrian/school zone issues, and low-cost congestion mitigation and roadway safety improvement measures. They also collaborate with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization to plan, design, and implement comprehensive roadway system improvements for the City's roadway network in support of the Comprehensive Plan. The division is responsible for managing proactive safety programs such as Traffic Calming and neighborhood street lighting.
Transportation Engineering
The Transportation Division is responsible for planning, programming, budgeting, scheduling, and executing transportation projects such as roadways, bridges, trails, sidewalks, etc. that address safety, congestion, pedestrian, and bridge replacement needs. The division coordinates the Roadway CIP with the State SYIP, participates in regional long-range planning, and provides scoping, scheduling, budgeting, and project management services to support public/private Economic Vitality initiatives and Parks and Recreation projects.