The road between Virginia Beach and the Shenandoah Valley will be a breeze come 2025.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation recently announced that its bus line, Virginia Breeze, will expand with its first east-to-west service. The route, known as Tidewater Current, will offer two-way transport on Interstate 64 between Virginia Beach and Harrisonburg. Once operational, it will run 365 days a year.

Department spokesperson Jayla Parker said in an email that exact stop locations have not been finalized yet, but they may include stops in Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, New Kent, Richmond and Charlottesville.

Virginia Breeze’s other four routes are the Valley Flyer from Blacksburg to Washington, D.C.; Highlands Rhythm from Bristol to Washington; Piedmont Express from Danville to Washington; and Capital Connector from Martinsville to Richmond to Washington.

All Virginia Breeze buses maintain a restroom, baggage storage and free Wi-Fi.

Jennifer DeBruhl, outgoing director for the department, said in a news release that she is proud to leave the legacy of the route expansion. DeBruhl will retire on July 1 after more than 31 years of state service.

“I am grateful to have been a part of this journey from the beginning and to have helped connect underserved communities throughout the commonwealth,” she said.

Since its inception in December 2017, Virginia Breeze has provided close to 220,000 rides. Ridership continues to grow — increasing by more than 10% from 2023 to 2024.

The cost for the new route, which is estimated to take 6.5 hours one way, is yet to be determined. Parker said the other routes cost between $19.99 to $59.99 one-way depending upon the trip length.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com