The early planning of Virginia Beach identified the Nimmo Parkway corridor as a key travel route for the City. The route was first identified in 1967 as False Cape Parkway and was added to the City Comprehensive plan in 1968. False Cape Parkway was later renamed to Ferrell Parkway in 1978.

City Council authorized the purchase of the right of way for Ferrell Parkway in 1989 and added Ferrell Parkway Phase VI and Phase VII (which would later become Nimmo Parkway Phase VII-B) to the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The City of Virginia Beach acquired the right-of-way for the project in 1991. 

The City of Virginia Beach hired Langley and McDonald to perform preliminary engineering work for the project. Langley and McDonald performed an alternative analysis, which recommended Ferrell Parkway Phase VI and Phase VII. VDOT hired a consultant to begin engineering work, but in 1993, the City deferred the project and dropped it from the CIP.

In 1996, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) offered a land swap with the City of Virginia Beach for the Ferrell Parkway corridor. The City of Virginia Beach decided to study the area with the Sandbridge Road Corridor Study (CIP 2-197) and hired Wiley & Wilson. 

The study looked at alternatives along both Sandbridge Road and the Ferrell Parkway corridor from General Booth to Sandfiddler Road. The study was completed in 1998 and recommended the Ferrell Parkway alignment.

The City of Virginia Beach initiated a second study, the Sandbridge Road Corridor Improvements Study (CIP 2-151) in 2002-2003 focused only on the existing Sandbridge Road corridor. This study recommended a hybrid alignment along Sandbridge Road that utilized the existing corridor as well as a new alignment. 

The preferred alternative was presented to City Council and City Council requested for a comparison to Nimmo Parkway.

When comparing the two corridors, the Nimmo Parkway corridor had a slightly larger impact to wetlands, but has significantly less impacts to private property, businesses, homes, and US Fish and Wildlife Services property. 

The City of Virginia Beach decided to complete safety improvements in three locations along Sandbridge Road in 2007 and has since added Nimmo Parkway Phase VII-B to the CIP in 2016.

The City of Virginia Beach has considered options for improved access to the Sandbridge Community for many decades.