Drone Technology at NJDOT

Route 33 Bridge Replacements and I-81 Exit 247 Improvement Project

I-95 at Exit 140 Road Diverging Diamond Interchange

Laskin Road November 2019 Update

VDOT Names New Bristol District Administrator

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Chief Deputy Commissioner Robert H. Cary, P.E., L.S., announced today that Donny Necessary, Jr. has been selected as the agency’s new Bristol District administrator. Necessary brings over 33 years of transportation expertise to the position, including service as Bristol’s acting district administrator for the past six months.

“Donny’s years of sound program leadership, vast planning experience and invaluable regional partnerships provide a strong foundation for continued success in the Bristol District,” said Chief Deputy Commissioner Cary.

Necessary will be responsible for the construction, maintenance and operations of nearly 16,000 lane miles of roads in the Bristol District’s 12 counties: Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe.

He joined VDOT in 1986 as a highway engineering technician, and has also served as an assistant district traffic engineer, a transportation operations analysis and enhancement engineer, and, since 2010, served as the Bristol District planner.

As the lead planner for the district, Necessary managed Bristol’s project prioritization program, SMART SCALE, and built vital local and regional partnerships through collaboration with planning district commissions and metropolitan planning organizations. His steady leadership and expertise has been integral to providing smooth short- and long-range planning processes.

Necessary holds an associate’s degree in design drafting from Virginia Highlands Community College and a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from East Tennessee State University.

Enrollment Opens For Toll Relief Program

RICHMOND - Since its inception in 2017, a program designed to help ease the financial burden of tolls has distributed approximately $1.3 million in toll relief to qualified Norfolk and Portsmouth residents who travel regularly through the Downtown and Midtown tunnels.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) today announced that enrollment for the 2020 Toll Relief Program will be held from Dec. 2, 2019, to Feb. 15, 2020, for toll relief benefits that begin March 1, 2020. Applicants must bring proof of income and residency in person to the E-ZPass Customer Service Center in either Norfolk or Portsmouth.

To qualify for Toll Relief, participants must:

• Reside in Norfolk or Portsmouth
• One of the following is required for proof of residency:
• Driver’s license
• Utility, telephone or cable bill
• Checking or savings account statement
• Property tax bill
• Mortgage or proof of home ownership
• Rental contract
• Military documentation confirming residency
  
  
• Earn $30,000 or less per year
• One of the following is required for proof of income:
• • W-2
• 1099-MISC
• One month of pay stubs
• IRS 1040
• Employer’s statement
• Self-declaration of no income
• Have or open a Virginia E-ZPass account

Once a participant’s Virginia E-ZPass designated transponder records eight or more trips through the Downtown or Midtown tunnels during a calendar month, a 75-cent refund is credited to his or her Virginia E-ZPass account for each trip. There is no limit on the number of discounted trips in a calendar month. Current participants must re-enroll to receive 2020 Toll Relief Program benefits.

Elizabeth River Crossings, operators of the Downtown and Midtown tunnels, is providing the Commonwealth $500,000 a year for 10 years to help offset the cost of tolls on those users most financially stressed. The 2020 Toll Relief Program marks the fourth year.

For more information on Toll Relief, visit www.vdottollrelief.com or call 855-530-5506.

VDOT: Innovative Solutions to Reduce Congestion and Improve Safety

VDOT Paint A Plow 2019

Governor Northam Celebrates Opening of I-395 Express Lanes in Northern Virginia

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that the new Interstate 395 Express Lanes will open on Sunday, November 17. The project extends the Express Lanes by eight miles for seamless connectivity between Fairfax County and Washington, D.C. The expansion gives drivers new options for faster and more predictable travel along one of the region’s most congested corridors and will save drivers an estimated 30 minutes during morning rush hour.

The opening comes just five days after Governor Northam joined Maryland’s Governor to announce the “Capital Beltway Accord,” which will finally replace the aging American Legion Bridge, after years of delay.

“This corridor is the economic backbone of Virginia, and this project will significantly reduce congestion in it,” said Governor Northam. “Sitting in traffic hurts our economy, and it keeps people away from the ones they love. This is about giving commuters new options to get to work and back home faster. This is good for everyone who commutes in Northern Virginia.”

The $475 million project broke ground in August 2017 and is being delivered on time and on budget. It is a public-private partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Transurban, the current operators of the 95 and 495 Express Lanes. Construction of the project was led by Lane Construction. 

“This is the latest example of Virginia’s commitment to provide transportation solutions that work for everyone,” said Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. “We have forged partnerships and designed projects that can deliver options for commuters. Virginia carpoolers and buses get the free-flowing travel they deserve, a single commuter can choose to pay for a more reliable trip, and the communities along the 395 Corridor will see consistent, year-over-year investment in transit paid for by toll revenue.”

Transurban has also committed $15 million annually to fund transit improvements across the corridor over the term of the operating contract, with the first payment to be made before tolling begins. Expenditure of these funds will be administered through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) Commuter Choice Program.

“NVTC, through its Commuter Choice program, will be good stewards of the annual transit payment from Transurban and the I-395 Express Lanes, selecting the best transit projects to move people efficiently and reliably through the corridor now and in the future,” said Kate Mattice, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission Executive Director.

Benefits of the 395 Express Lanes project include:

• Funding $15 million per year from toll revenues for transit investments along the 95/395 corridor;
• Adding another lane to give drivers three free-flowing, reversible lanes that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
• Providing a new travel choice for Express Lane customers and easing congestion on the adjacent free lanes;
• Delivering a new bus and a new “slugger” commuter lane at the Pentagon’s South Parking lot to enhance traffic flow, which opened in June 2019;
• Improving access to the Pentagon and Crystal City through interchange improvements at Eads Street;
• Rehabilitating 14 bridges in the 395 corridor; and
• Widening southbound 395 with a new regular lane between Duke Street and Edsall Road, to be completed in summer 2020.
  

“Transurban is proud of the historic collaboration that came together to deliver the 395 Express Lanes,” said Jennifer Aument, President of Transurban North America. “This project would not have been possible without the enduring vision of the Commonwealth and the countless advocates and stakeholders across Northern Virginia. We’ve joined forces to provide the region with a dynamic, integrated network of travel choices that will ensure Virginia is on the move and we are working minute-to-minute to ensure a safe and seamless trip for our new customers on the 395 Express Lanes.”

Once the 395 Express Lanes are open for customers, construction will continue to finish drainage improvements north of Eads Street, rehabilitate bridges at Seminary Road and Shirlington Circle, continue construction of the Duke Street to Edsall Road widening, and complete sound wall construction. Construction impacts will include lane closures during weekends and non-peak travel times.

The 395 Express Lanes will operate similarly as the 95 and 495 Express Lanes and join an expanding network that will include an additional 10 miles of Express Lanes now under construction on 95 to Fredericksburg. With ongoing construction in the corridor and new traffic patterns resulting from completed work, project partners remind drivers to be safe, put phones down, and learn about changes that may impact travel while acclimating to the improved corridor.

For more information, click here or visit expresslanes.com/projects/395.