The Road Information Program has released a very detailed report on Virginia’s transportation system and ranked the Top 50 transportation projects needed in order to sustain economic growth in the Commonwealth. With the State Senate and House of Delegates already having passed their own versions of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s $4 billion transportation plan, this report provides an excellent “road map” (forgive the pun) as to how to best spend it (and given the Commonwealth’s transportation needs, it will be spent very quickly.)
According to TRIP:
The most needed surface transportation improvements in Virginia include 36 projects to build, expand or modernize highways, six projects to improve publictransit and eight projects to improve the state’s rail system. These improvementswould enhance economic development opportunities throughout the state by increasing mobility and freight movement, easing congestion and making Virginia an attractive place to live, visit and do business.
Here are the top 10 projects:
1. Widening I-95 between Washington D.C. and Richmond. This $2.4 billion project would add two to four lanes in multiple sections of the I-95 Corridor between Washington, D.C and Richmond. The project would add four lanes on the Capital Beltway from the I-495 Ramp to Route 241 in Fairfax, two lanes (in conjunction with Metrorail extension to be studied from Franconia-Springfield to the Potomac Mills Mall) from the Route 123 in Prince William County to the Stafford County Line, two lanes from the Prince William / Stafford County Line to Route 1 in Spotsylvania County, and two lanes from Route 1 in Spotsylvania County to the Henrico County Line. This is the most heavily traveled corridor in the state, sustaining the economic engine of Northern Virginia. Continued economic success in the state is dependent on maintaining a reliable and high functioning I-95.
2. Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion. This $2.4 billion project would construct an additional four lanes, including bridge tunnel expansion from I-664 in Hampton to I-564 in Norfolk as part of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion. The project addresses a perennial regional bottleneck, providing mobility for commuters between the Peninsula and Southside It also is a critical route for tourist traffic from the I-95 Corridor to Virginia Beach.
3. Widening I-64 from New Kent to Hampton to six lanes. This $1.9 billion project would widen 53 miles of I-64 from New Kent to Hampton, providing improved access to and from the ports and Hampton Roads military installations and improving access to Virginia Beach, one of, the state’s largest tourist destinations. This project provides improved capacity and safety on Virginia’s primary access to the Hampton Roads area, which is also a critical hurricane evacuation route.
4. Construction of HOT lanes on I-95/I-395 in Northern Virginia and transit improvements. This $1.4 billion project would construct HOT lanes on I-95 and I-395 in 3 Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg and Prince William County and provide transit improvements. Adding HOT lanes will increase capacity and improve safety on Virginia’s highest volume roadway. Northern Virginia’s continued economic success is dependent on a reliable and well-functioning I-95 and I-395.
5. Hampton Roads Third Crossing/ Patriot’s Crossing. This $5 billion project involves constructing Phase I of the Third Crossing from existing I-664 across Hampton Roads Harbor past Craney Island to the I-564 Intermodal Connector via a four-lane limited access bridge or tunnel. The project provides a potential alternate crossing to the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, which is chronically congested. It would also provide critical direct access to port terminals in Norfolk, Portsmouth and future Craney Island expansion. An alternative river crossing will allow for greater mobility between the Peninsula and Southside of Hampton Roads, and will allow for improved truck freight movement from the ports to points west.
6. Widening I-64 in City of Chesapeake and replacing the High Rise Bridge. This $11 billion project would widen I-64 from two lanes in each direction to three general purpose lanes in each direction and would replace the High Rise Bridge. Completion of the project would eliminate congestion and daily delays at the High Rise Bridge and improve travel times and reliability to major employment centers, port facilities, defense installations and tourist destinations while expanding the evacuation route.
7. Widening I-66 in Prince William County, Fairfax and Vienna. This $761 million project would add two lanes to I-66 in multiple locations, largely in conjunction with Metrorail improvements. It would address growing congestion on I-66 and alleviate congestion at the major chokepoint where I-495 and I-66 meet. The project would reduce delays and maintain Northern Virginia’s economic competitiveness and ability to attract businesses and employers. See Appendix for specific widening locations.
8. Adding two lanes to multiple sections of I-81. This $1.6 billion multi-part project would add two lanes to several sections of I-81, which is the “Main Street” of the Shenandoah Valley and a critical freight route. The improvements will address some of the high crash locations along the corridor and provide greater mobility for local commuter traffic in Winchester, Harrisonburg and Roanoke. See Appendix for specific widening locations.
9. Extending Metrorail from Fairfax County to Dulles Airport and beyond to Ashburn. This $3.2 billion project would extend Metrorail from Wiehle Avenue to Ashburn to increase mobility and manage congestion between Dulles Airport and Washington, D.C. Completion of the project will provide significant regional mobility and economic development benefits.
10. Widening portions of Route 29 and adding two lanes to the Eastern Bypass in Warrenton. This multi-part, $849 million project would widen several sections of Route 29 in Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, Greene and Albemarle Counties and would add 4 two lanes to the Eastern Bypass around the congested Warrenton area where Routes 15, 17 and 29 converge. Route 29 is a major north-south corridor in the Piedmont region of Virginia, serving a significant amount of freight in addition to passenger traffic. These improvements will also create the potential for economic development by improving access in the area. See Appendix for specific widening locations.
A full breakout of all 50 projects can be found here.
Most of these are excellent suggestions for projects that are long overdue. I do have to say, however, that I disagree with extending Metrorail to Potomac Mills Mall in Prince William County as there are better ways to serve any such needs — such as express shuttle buses that use the HOV or specially designated Bus Rapid Transit lanes to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and a light-rail alternative that could be built faster at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, a light-rail system, such as the one being contemplated to connect the Franconia-Springfield Metro station with Fort Belvoir (and that PWC could then connect with), would not put PWC taxpayers on the hook for the system-wide maintenance costs associated with Metro.
