Willoughby Spit

[2] Willoughby's son, Thomas II, was living there in the 1660s, and legend has it that his wife awoke one morning following a terrific storm (possibly the "Harry Cane" of 1667) to see a point of land in front her home, where there had been only water the night before.

Over the course of the next centuries, general westward movement of sand was compounded by extensive erosion of the 7.3-mile (11.7 km) long beach of Willoughby Spit and the rest of Ocean View.

Homes and businesses built too close to the water were routinely threatened by coastal storms, and recreational use was limited because of the narrow width of the beach.

Despite the costs of maintaining the coastline, renewed growth around the area and increased tourism have generated revenue that the region depends upon.

Today, the southern terminus of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which was expanded to four lanes in the 1970s, is located at the tip of Willoughby Spit.

After leaving the bridge-tunnel, Interstate 64, part of the Hampton Roads Beltway, crosses a small portion of the spit and enters a bridge across the northern edge of Willoughby Bay.