At its September meeting, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved funding to accelerate highway safety initiatives and voted to support an agreement with Northern Virginia partners on an upcoming Route 28/Dulles Toll Road study.
The CTB approved amendments to the Fiscal Year 2020-25 Six-Year Improvement Plan and initiated a systemic implementation plan to capitalize on available safety funds. By programming safety funds and optimizing funds provided on safety projects underway, the CTB earmarked nearly $137 million to accelerate key highway safety initiatives statewide, including high-visibility backplates, flashing yellow arrows, curve signs, pedestrian crossings, unsignalized intersections, shoulder wedges and rumble strips on pavement centerline and edgeline locations.
“Ensuring that Virginia’s roadways are safe is our top priority,” said Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. “With funding allocated, these proven safety initiatives can be accelerated over the next six years, and are forecasted to save more than 60 lives and prevent over 1,200 injuries per year statewide.”
The board authorized Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner Stephen C. Brich to enter into an agreement with Northern Virginia partners to study Route 28/Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Greenway. Partners, which include VDOT, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and the Toll Road Investors Partnership (TRIP II), will identify mitigation strategies to improve operations and safety at the interchange of Route 28 and Route 267 (Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Greenway), as well as analyze roadway changes, land development needs and projected traffic growth to develop a master plan to program future project efforts.
CTB members also joined Secretary Valentine in commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Virginia-sponsored passenger rail service at Main Street Station. In October 2009, daily round-trip service was launched from Lynchburg to Washington, D.C., providing intercity passenger rail service for the first time in the Commonwealth.
“I am honored to have been part of launching the first Virginia-sponsored Amtrak train in the Commonwealth in 2009,” said Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation. “Standing on the shoulders of many, we continue to build a rail network that supports job creation, workforce recruitment, tourism, and business investment throughout our Commonwealth.”
In this month’s meeting, the CTB also approved two VDOT contracts totaling $17.8 million.
- A $10.2 million contract was awarded to Branscome Inc. of Williamsburg, to relieve congestion on Longhill Road in James City County. The project will expand the road from two lanes to a four lane divided highway from just east of Williamsburg West Drive to just west of the Olde Towne Road/Devon Road intersection in VDOT’s Hampton Roads District. The outside lanes will include extra width to accommodate cyclists. A 10-foot multiuse path will also be constructed as part of the project. Completion is expected in fall 2021.
- A $7.6 million contract was awarded to Kanawha Stone Company Inc. of Nitro, W.Va., to reconstruct a portion of Route 622 (Lynbrook Road) in northwestern Campbell County as a wider roadway. The road will also be shifted north approximately 600 feet to improve alignment with Route 683. As part of the project, a portion of Flat Creek will be relocated, and a new bridge will be constructed. This is the latest project on Route 622 in VDOT’s Lynchburg District. Once complete, it will provide motorists with an improved corridor between the Bedford County line and Route 29. Completion is expected in late summer 2021.
Appointed by the governor, the 17-member CTB establishes the administrative policies for Virginia’s transportation system. The CTB allocates highway funding to specific projects, locates routes and provides funding for airports, seaports and public transportation.
For more information:
- Final bid results and projects: http://www.virginiadot.org/business/const/bidresults-list.asp
- CTB meeting, times and locations: http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/public_meetings/schedule_overview/default.asp
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