Proposed budget change could help Beach roads

Virginia Beach:

“A budget change proposed Tuesday would bring long-sought improvements to Princess Anne Road and a quick fix for a dangerous portion of Sandbridge Road. The new expenses would not add to the $1.83 billion budget for fiscal year 2014-15 or increase real estate taxes. Instead, road taxes, fees and other revenue would be shifted from other projects toward what the city is calling greater priorities.

The biggest expense would be $14 million to widen Princess Anne Road to four lanes between General Booth Boulevard and Upton Drive. Land acquisition is nearly complete, and the upgraded road would likely open by summer 2015. The money would come from a combination of state revenue, an existing road fund and $9.4 million in bonds.

Although plans to improve the mile-long stretch of Princess Anne have been in the city's capital improvement plan since 2004, they've been trumped repeatedly by other projects, city officials said.”

~Writes John Holland of The Virginian-Pilot

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Williamsburg budget lays ground work for roads projects

City of Williamsburg:

“Included in the city's proposed fiscal 2015 budget is a slew of road projects that will eventually cost millions but start far more modestly. The total fiscal 2015 budget increases 1.45 percent over 2014, to a total of $50.4 million. Included in that is a $6.49 million capital budget funded primarily through a 1 percent sales tax.

City officials are looking at two big roads projects in the capital budget over the next few years, although neither will be built right away. The first would widen Ironbound Road between Richmond Road and Depue Drive to three lanes, at a cost of $3.5 million, according to the proposed budget. The project includes installing two left-hand turn lanes from Ironbound to Richmond Road, and shifting the intersection of Longhill Road to the west, presumably cutting closer to the front of WJC Schools Central Office at James Blair.

Officials originally believed it would pay to widen Ironbound using grant funds that required a 2 percent match (plus a 50 percent match for underground wiring), but funds dried up in 2010 and won't be again available until 2018, pushing the advertising date for the project to 2021.

In the meantime, the proposed budget includes $50,000 for early planning. The 2015 budget includes a similar $50,000 for preliminary planning at the intersection of Capitol Landing Road at Bypass Road.”

~Writes Cortney Langley of The Virginia Gazette

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VDOT fast-tracking I-64 widening project, hoping to ease Hampton Roads traffic

Hampton Roads:

“On Tuesday Jim Utterback, Virginia Department of Transportation Hampton Roads District director, and consultant project manager Steven Chapin briefed James City County supervisors on the state of the $144 million Interstate 64 widening project at their monthly meeting.

With both Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne pushing the effort to alleviate congested traffic in Hampton Roads, the project is gathering steam. It will widen I-64 to six lanes from the Jefferson Avenue exit to just south of the Lee Hall exit, roughly 5.5 miles. The new 12-foot lanes will be added inside the existing east and westbound lanes, and the agency will widen six bridges along the route.

Utterback said the department issued a request for qualifications and has had five bidders respond. He told the James City supervisors the department hopes to issue request for proposals this summer ‘with the goal of awarding the contract this December.’ VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Gwaltney said construction may begin in early 2015. VDOT officials estimate the project will be complete in Winter 2018.”

~ Writes Cathy Grimes the Daily Press

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Belmont Bridge replacement designs previewed

City of Charlottesville:

“Charlottesville officials have two new design concepts to mull as replacements for the Belmont Bridge. Local engineers from MMM Design presented the options Friday to a city design task force. The bridge proposals feature bike lanes and wide sidewalks and would provide space for new development.

‘The things that we heard at that meeting were to try to make the bridge shorter, keep it two lanes, integrate bike and pedestrian use well, and to try to bring the buildings along the street up to create a street edge in the future,’ said Jim Tolbert, the city’s director of Neighborhood Development Services.

The new work is the latest in a process that dates back to November 2010, when a design effort to replace the existing 1960s-era structure began. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has allocated $14.5 million to replace the bridge, which carries Route 20 over two city roads and railroad tracks. The original design created by MMM Design was not well received by some in the Belmont neighborhood, but fell within parameters laid out by the city.”

~Writes Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Parkway project attracts supporters

Town of Front Royal:

“The long-awaited Leach Run Parkway project likely could affect many area residents and property owners when complete. More than two dozen people showed up to a public information meeting for the project on Wednesday at the Warren County Community Center. Representatives with the project engineer, Pennoni Associates, as well as officials from Front Royal, Warren County and Economic Development Authority provided information and answered questions.

Plans call for the four-lane, divided parkway to connect Happy Creek Road to John Marshall Highway (Va. 55). The design includes sidewalks and bicycle paths as well as a median and trees. The project does not include a section to the north of Happy Creek Road and extending to the Shenandoah Shores area as shown in earlier designs. The Virginia Department of Transportation covers half of the $12 million cost. The county covers 66 percent and the town 34 percent of the remaining cost.

Most of the those attending spoke favorably about the project, saying the town and county have needed the north-south bypass for a long time. Michael Henderson lives on John Marshall Highway at the corner of the proposed intersection with Leach Run Parkway. Henderson said he bought the property about 12 years ago. The Virginia Department of Transportation must acquire his property to make way for the road, a retention pond and to create the sight distance needed for the intersection.”

~Writes Alex Bridges of the NV Daily

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Ramp to connect Fort Belvoir North to I-95

Fairfax County:

“Construction continues on the ramp that will connect Fort Belvoir North commuters to I-95 south express lanes and regular northbound lanes. ‘We’re currently on schedule, looking to complete by Dec. 14 of this year,’ said Tim Brown, construction operations engineer for Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, part of the Federal Highway Administration.

The FHA is managing the project in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The ramp is set to open in early 2015, coinciding with the opening of the new I-95 express lanes… As construction progresses, there will also be less lane closures during night construction, he added.

‘The number of lane closures should be diminishing in our work zone going forward,’ Brown said.

The ramp will allow drivers from Fort Belvoir North to drive directly on to the I-95 South express lanes, or get right onto the regular I-95 northbound lanes, said Michelle Holland, VDOT Megaprojects communications manager. The ramp’s major benefit is connecting drivers to the I-95 southbound express lanes, she added.”

~Writes Brittany Carlson of Belvoir Eagle

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State transportation officials given 30 days to present Western Bypass alternatives

Albemarle County:

“State transportation officials raced against the clock Thursday to produce alternatives to the derailed Western Bypass of U.S. 29. In a letter dated Tuesday, the Federal Highway Administration slammed the brakes on the project, citing numerous deficiencies, lack of local support and little regard for the growth and development along Albemarle County’s primary commercial corridor.

‘Our legal counsel has advised us to reassess the purpose and need of the project in light of the changes in the Route 29 corridor that have occurred over the past 20 years to determine if it remains appropriate,’ wrote Irene Rico, a division administrator with the highway administration. In light of the federal decision, state Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne accorded VDOT until March 19 to present alternatives to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Rico’s letter casts doubt on the potential for a revived Western Bypass, or any bypass, and a resolution Albemarle County supervisors passed Thursday night requested that the state consider appropriating funds allocated for the bypass to other local projects.”

~Writes J. Reynolds Hutchins of the Daily Progress

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Influx of money kicks Virginia Beach roadwork into high gear

Virginia Beach:

“Streams of federal and state money have revived languishing road projects - from the widening of Princess Anne Road near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center to new on-off ramps at London Bridge Road. And the efforts to ease congestion are not done yet as the landscape for drivers in Virginia Beach continues to evolve. But the outlook wasn't always so good.

In 2008, the Great Recession gripped the region, and funding for transportation shrank. When President Barack Obama announced a federal stimulus package in 2009 that promised money for roads, and jobs to build them, time was of the essence. ‘Shovel-ready’ projects - meaning those where construction could begin quickly - took priority. The state received $694.5 million for its roads, with $40 million landing in Virginia Beach. The money helped pay for the construction of Interstate 264 ramps at London Bridge Road and the widening of parts of Princess Anne and Witchduck roads.

The city's good fortune during hard times had only just begun… Four new projects, fueled by the regional taxes, are ready to begin. Virginia Beach will be connected to Chesapeake with the Lynnhaven Parkway expansion now under way, and the Lesner Bridge will be replaced with a wider, taller bridge in a few years. Also, parts of Witchduck and Holland roads will be expanded.”

~Writes Stacy Parker of the Virginian-Pilot

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Work set to start on Culpeper’s inner loop

Town of Culpeper:

“For months, crews have been moving utilities. Now Culpeper’s real traffic headache is about to begin. Actual construction on the town’s inner loop (Colonel Jameson Parkway) is scheduled to start Tuesday. For the next 270 days, motorists who normally travel the Old Rixeyville Road and the Sperryville Pike should be prepared to wait or take alternate routes…

When completed, the six-tenths-of-a-mile stretch of road will link Sperryville Pike, with a roundabout at Virginia Avenue, to North Main Street, with a roundabout at the Wendy’s restaurant. The latter roundabout, on which construction began before Christmas, is part of a VDOT project to widen North Main Street to four lanes all the way to the town limits. That job, awarded to the same contractor, is not scheduled for completion until August 2015.

Colonel Jameson Parkway is planned to be completed before the North Main Street project is done. Weather permitting, the inner loop will be ready by Thanksgiving. While the inner loop is being built to alleviate backups at the Main and Evans street stoplight, this summer’s Old Rixeyville Road closure will burden that intersection even more—as will construction at the North Main Street roundabout.”

~Writes Donnie Johnston of The Free Lance–Star

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Visit VDOT's website to learn more, here.

FAMPO blesses parkway proposals

Fredericksburg Area MPO:

“A boisterous overflow crowd didn’t hear what it wanted at Monday night’s Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting. Several dozen residents took part in what has been a long-running battle over projects aimed at easing congestion problems along the Fredericksburg area’s Interstate 95 corridor.

Most of them spoke against a resolution to move forward with road projects estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, including a pair of parkways opposed by Spotsylvania County and Stafford County residents who would be impacted by them. But after all was said and done, FAMPO’s policy committee voted to approve the resolution.

The projects include the Rappahannock River Crossing, which would add collector–distributor roads and bridges along I–95 between the U.S. 17 and State Route 3 exits.”

~ Writes Scott Shenk of The Free Lance-Star

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Vienna Road Projects Take Step Forward

Town of Vienna:

“The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week approved $1.4 billion to fund transportation projects for FY 2015 to FY 2020. Among them were two road projects in Vienna, plus one transit project in the local area. In fall 2012, Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) staff held nine public meetings countywide regarding county residents’ transportation needs. It also conducted an online survey.

With the passage of House Bill 2313 by the Virginia General Assembly in spring 2013, Fairfax County was designated to receive an infusion of state transportation dollars. So FCDOT held additional public meetings in fall 2013 to garner community input to prioritize the unfunded transportation projects residents had requested in 2012.

The Supervisors’ approval of these and other transportation-project priorities, last Tuesday, Jan. 28, culminated a nearly two-year outreach called the Countywide Dialogue on Transportation. The Board’s action will move many of these much-needed transportation improvements from the planning stage to the construction phase over the next six years.”

~Writes Bonnie Hobbs of The Connection

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Beach moves forward to widen busy intersection

Virginia Beach:

“One of Virginia Beach's most congested intersections, which snarls commuters heading to and from Oceana Naval Air Station, is finally on its way to getting some relief. The city has fully funded a $25 million project that will widen First Colonial Road at Virginia Beach Boulevard from four to six lanes to the Interstate 264 overpass.

‘There's a need for it,’ said Sam Reid, president of Oceana Gardens Coalition Civic League and a School Board member. ‘Especially in the morning and the afternoon. That whole corner comes to a standstill - cars backed up everywhere from base traffic. It doesn't matter what direction you're coming from. It clogs up the whole intersection in all directions.’

The city's acquisitions will affect about 30 properties in the project's path. Appraisals will be sent out this spring, followed by acquisitions and relocations. The city already has bought more than 30 parcels on the fringes of the intersection as part of the planned widening. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2016.”

~Writes Stacy Parker of the Virginia Pilot

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Augusta BOS Votes to Widen Route 608 in Fishersville

Augusta County

“Crews are already widening the bottleneck at Exit 91 off Interstate 64, but that project doesn't cover a chunk of Route 608 waiting to be developed. Eight properties that have been purchased along 608 in Fishersville can't break ground on new development until the road is widened, so Augusta County supervisors voted Wednesday night to solicit for bids to fix that problem…

The project is expected to cost a few million dollars, but leftover Virginia Department of Transportation secondary road funds and revenue sharing could leave the county with less than half the cost.”
~Reports NBC29

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What’s Next for I-66

Northern Virginia

“VDOT will hold a public information meeting on the next steps to identify potential traffic improvements in the I-66 Corridor. It’s set for Thursday, Jan. 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Road in Vienna. (If cancelled due to weather: Tuesday, Feb. 4).

#VDOT and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation have identified 10 concepts to increase capacity within the I-66 corridor, plus options to increase travel-mode choices, improve individual interchanges, address spot safety needs and enhance travel efficiency.”

~Writes The Connection

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VDOT official to Isle of Wight Board: U.S. 460 project "refocused," not delayed

Isle of Wight

“A Department of Transportation official told the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors on Thursday that the U.S. 460 project was being refocused, not suspended entirely.

The project, a new 55-mile stretch of divided highway slated to be built along the route of the existing 460, has had permitting issues since the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration ordered additional study of the impact the project would have on area wetlands in October 2013. The study was ordered when it became clear that previous estimates of the amount of wetland area impacted were substantially lower than the agencies were seeing out in the field.

The Virginia Department of Transportation project manager for the new 460 improvement, Philip Rinehart, told the board the study is projected to be completed by August or September.”

~Writes the Ryan Murphyof the Daily Press

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VDOT Plans to Reconstruct High-Traffic Road in Stuarts Draft

Augusta County

“The Virginia Department of Transportation is sharing its plan to make a high-traffic road in Stuarts Draft safer. The plan is to reconstruct a part of Route 610, or Howardsville Turnpike. A VDOT rep says they'll level and widen the half-mile section near Hodge and Lake roads. He says this will help the sight distance and drainage issues…

VDOT says public input, especially from property owners off of 610, helps them tweak the plans if needed. The $4.4 million project is still roughly three years out.”
~Reports NBC29

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Many transportation projects vie for travelers’ attention in congested Washington region

Northern Virginia

“The region’s top transportation stories for 2014 are the start-up of the Metro Silver Line and the D.C. streetcar, Metro’s fare increases and the transit rebuilding program, the addition of bike lanes, the completion of toll highways and the rebuilding of interchanges and bridges.

But there’s plenty more going on this year. Here’s a look at the runner-up category.”

~Writes the Robert Thomson of the Washington Post

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Gloucester officials want Route 17 pedestrian crossings

Gloucester County

“County officials are pressing the Virginia Department of Transportation for pedestrian crossings on Route 17 in Gloucester Point as part of a series of projects on the highway and connecting roads to make it more compatible with people walking and biking and to improve traffic flow through Gloucester.

The request by Gloucester County officials comes as plans are being set for a number of projects along the highway and its corridors. The projects include:

• Coordinating traffic signals on 11 miles of Route 17, from the Court House area to the Coleman Bridge, at an estimated cost of $2.2 million.
• Constructing facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists for nearly 2 miles on Hayes Road, at an estimated cost of $1.6 million.
• Constructing facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists for 3.6 miles on Guinea Road, from the intersection of Route 17 to the intersection of Maryus Road, at an estimated cost of $1.4 million.
• Widening Route 17 for pedestrians and bicyclists, from just north of the Coleman Bridge to Farmwood Road, at an estimated cost of $349,000.”

~Writes Matt Sabo of the Daily Press

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Route 460 project presents problems

Hampton Roads

“Contested federal permits and a large environmental impact are putting the ‘Commonwealth Connector,’ a new 55-mile, tolled alternative to the current Route 460 from Prince George County to Suffolk, in jeopardy.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe told the Virginian-Pilot in December he did not believe taxpayer money should be used on the project until federal permits were issued and — even then — he would still ‘take a hard look’ at the project…

The proposed route will cost around $1.4 billion. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s website, the project will be funded from three different sources. The Virginia Department of Transportation would provide about $900 million and the Virginia Port Authority would provide about $250 million of public funding, both of which would ultimately come from taxpayers. The rest — around $250 million — would be provided through tax-exempt toll revenue bonds, which will be paid back with tolls collected from highway users.

Drivers who travel the length of the new route would be charged around $4 while trucks would pay around $12. The existing Route 460 would remain free.”

~Writes Lauren McClellan of the Suffolk News-Herald

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Town considers condemnation for North St. improvements

Town of Orange

“In order to make improvements to a town road, the Orange Town Council may have to pursue condemnation proceedings, something it hasn’t done in at least 19 years. When the Roundhill Meadows housing project was approved in 2011, it included a proffer to construct a new section of North Street running from Radney Road to the southern edge of the Meadows’ property. A proffer was also included to extend the new piece of North Street with the existing North Street, providing alternate access off of Rt. 15 and improving the town’s transportation network.

 

However, the proffer to construct the connector hinges on the town’s ability to obtain the necessary public rights of way and easements from the current owner—something it hasn’t been able to do. According to town attorney Gail Marshall, the town has tried several times since August 2012 to obtain the necessary property from Oakbrook Terrace L.P. She said the property needed for the project consists of 25,299 sq. ft. along the eastern boundary of the property along with a permanent streetscape and utility easement adjacent to the western side of it (7,568 sq. ft.), a permanent drainage easement (596 sq. ft.) and a temporary construction easement that need to be in place for no more than five years depending on construction (8,740 sq. ft.).”

~Writes Gracie Hart Brooks of the Orange County Review

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