Virginia

[Alps]

The new High Rise Bridge is officially open to traffic.

https://twitter.com/vadothr/status/1548192575600730119

The new bridge is for I-64 heading east, but that's really I-64 WB... or call it Outer?

[wriddle082]

The new High Rise Bridge is officially open to traffic.

https://twitter.com/vadothr/status/1548192575600730119

The new bridge is for I-64 heading east, but that's really I-64 WB... or call it Outer?

They should just replace all of the cardinal directions on 664 and 64 with Inner and Outer, at least along the mainline, and only post the cardinals at interchanges and (maybe) pull-throughs.  It works in Charlotte.

[froggie]

^ There are already Hampton Roads Beltway signs on I-64 and I-664 that post "inner Loop" and "Outer Loop", and have existed for at least 20 years now.  In my experience, they're generally ignored.

[bluecountry]

I'll just say that of the three VA counties through which Coalfields is designated, all saw population declines of over 11% between 2010 and 2020.

Wise: 41,452--->36,130 (-12.8%)
Dickenson: 15,903--->14,124 (−11.2%)
Buchanan: 24,098--->20,355 (−15.5%)

And their combined populations is 70,609, across 1,243 square miles (57 people per sq. mile)

By contrast, Alexandria VA has a population of 159.467 across 15 square miles (10,600 ppsm)

It's just a hard sell - I don't care what your predisposition is regarding rural/urban red/blue, etc. The numbers speak for themselves.

The numbers drop because there isn't much in the way of jobs to hold people there. The fan company in the article is an example -- he is providing employment in an area that needs it but may bail on the area because his shipping costs and lack of choices (truckers don't want to deal with some of the roads into the region). There have been attempts to bring more jobs to the area and lots of promises from politicians to "do something" but those are slow to come to fruition. The Coalfields Expressway (whether there is agreement on its need or not) has been on the books for years but not much dirt has been moved. Given the improvements in broadband and greater use of remote work, perhaps if it were easier to travel to and around the far end of the state, more people might move there to escape the mess that is Northern Virginia, trading green space and recreation for gridlock.

Bruce in Blacksburg (who has actually been to those counties -- who else can make that claim?)

Right.
Trade electricity, good public schools, and dental care for Appalachia, with subsidies from NOVA taxpayers.
Puhleaze.

[plain]

Took a ride over the new High Rise Bridge (Outer Loop) a couple hours ago en route to drop some friends off in Chesapeake. Sorry no pics. The height difference is very noticeable, to the point where I couldn't see the Inner Loop lanes at all. Granted, the two lanes that were open is smack in the center of the bridge (though they have the left lane closed right at the top, probably a night time closure). The bridge's streetlights are fully operational and are on both sides, not just the right. I'm going to try and go over during the daytime sometime over the weekend when I pick them back up.

[sprjus4]

Here's a video posted on YouTube driving the corridor between US-17 Business and I-464, including the new bridge.

https://youtu.be/udU8hfSvO6M

The new bridge will be 3 lanes heading westbound (towards Va Beach) once the project is complete with full left and right shoulders. The management will be one HO/T lane and 2 general purpose lanes.

The bridge is designed to eventually handle 6 lanes of traffic during construction of a future (unfunded) project that would demolish and replace the existing High Rise Bridge with a second one of these new bridges, apart of an eventual widening to 8 lanes (4 lanes each way).

[plain]

Great video, at least it didn't take long for someone to film and post it.

[74/171FAN]

I guess my main question is if they have truly reopened Exit 292.  The sign said "Exit Open", but it still looked closed.

[famartin]

Bruce in Blacksburg (who has actually been to those counties -- who else can make that claim?)

My pet project in 2017 was to see each numbered highway in MD, WV and VA while also visiting each county and independent city. So... yea, been there.

[plain]

I guess my main question is if they have truly reopened Exit 292.  The sign said "Exit Open", but it still looked closed.

It's open. Take a closer look at the vid. They shifted the ramp.

[74/171FAN]

I guess my main question is if they have truly reopened Exit 292.  The sign said "Exit Open", but it still looked closed.

It's open. Take a closer look at the vid. They shifted the ramp.

I think the barrel inside the white lines at 7:27 in the video is why I am unsure, but otherwise it looks open.  (Oh, I see the ramp is on the right side of the barrier now.)

[VTGoose]

Right.
Trade electricity, good public schools, and dental care for Appalachia, with subsidies from NOVA taxpayers.
Puhleaze.

How elitist of you. Perhaps you should stop watching Beverly Hillbillies reruns (which was more of an Ozarks backwoods trope) and actually get out of your McMansion to visit other parts of the state. FU

[froggie]

^ Remember, this is the guy who thinks improvements to I-81 aren't worth it, even though I-81 carries more freight than I-95.  Not worth feeding the troll.

[hbelkins]

Right.
Trade electricity, good public schools, and dental care for Appalachia, with subsidies from NOVA taxpayers.
Puhleaze.

How elitist of you. Perhaps you should stop watching Beverly Hillbillies reruns (which was more of an Ozarks backwoods trope) and actually get out of your McMansion to visit other parts of the state. FU

I don't know of any places in Appalachia that don't have electricity. In fact, we mine the coal that lets you city dwellers turn on the lights.

This isn't Virginia, but three of the best public school systems in the state can be found in Pikeville, Hazard, and Paintsville. And there are plenty of dental offices.

NOVA may be different, but if you take the commerce from rural Kentucky out of Lexington, Louisville, and the Cincinnati area, those cities wouldn't be anywhere near what they are. Lots of people from outlying areas go there to eat, shop, be entertained, seek health care, etc., instead of obtaining those goods and services locally.

[bluecountry]

^ Remember, this is the guy who thinks improvements to I-81 aren't worth it, even though I-81 carries more freight than I-95.  Not worth feeding the troll.

I support I-81 improvements, AFTER I-95.

Right.
Trade electricity, good public schools, and dental care for Appalachia, with subsidies from NOVA taxpayers.
Puhleaze.

How elitist of you. Perhaps you should stop watching Beverly Hillbillies reruns (which was more of an Ozarks backwoods trope) and actually get out of your McMansion to visit other parts of the state. FU

How selfish and ignorant of you to think the limited road funding should be spent on coal country.
Road funds need to go to areas of greatest need, fixing congestion and safety, and sorry your area is way down on that list.
Don't like it, go to WV.
But stop acting like SW VA is due for priority, it ain't.

[bluecountry]

Right.
Trade electricity, good public schools, and dental care for Appalachia, with subsidies from NOVA taxpayers.
Puhleaze.

How elitist of you. Perhaps you should stop watching Beverly Hillbillies reruns (which was more of an Ozarks backwoods trope) and actually get out of your McMansion to visit other parts of the state. FU

I don't know of any places in Appalachia that don't have electricity. In fact, we mine the coal that lets you city dwellers turn on the lights.

This isn't Virginia, but three of the best public school systems in the state can be found in Pikeville, Hazard, and Paintsville. And there are plenty of dental offices.

NOVA may be different, but if you take the commerce from rural Kentucky out of Lexington, Louisville, and the Cincinnati area, those cities wouldn't be anywhere near what they are. Lots of people from outlying areas go there to eat, shop, be entertained, seek health care, etc., instead of obtaining those goods and services locally.

The pales in scale to the needs of NOVA and the Acela/NE corridor.
That should be way way down.

[LM117]

Aaaaannd NOVA wonders why the rest of the state feels the way they do about them.

Exhibit fuckin' A right here, folks.

[Takumi]

The only thing Nova has over the rest of the state is Nando's.

[famartin]

Its human nature to hate "the other". Especially if "the other" has obvious advantages. NOVA has DC proximity. That's really it, but its enough to make it by far the most populous and wealthy area of the state.

[hbelkins]

Aaaaannd NOVA Louisville wonders why the rest of the state feels the way they do about them.

The attitudes about rural Virginia exhibited here by city dwellers are the same as those exhibited by many in Louisville about the rest of Kentucky. Which is a big part of the reason my feelings about Louisville are what they are.

[WillWeaverRVA]

The Richmond Times-Dispatch posted some photos from Broad Street in Richmond from the 1950s and 1960s, and there are pictures showing former routings of US 1/301, US 60, and VA 33.

[plain]

For anyone who is taking a road trip today and that trip just happens to take you through or to VA, it's 11 AM ET and all of this is already going on.



moto g(7) optimo (XT1952DL)


The I-81 backups are from separate accidents in each direction, while the I-85 backup is also from an accident. Everything else is just a normal weekend, but early.

[74/171FAN]

Yeah, this affected CPZ big-time coming to the RDU Meet.  I think he went back home via US 15 and US 29 to get away from it all.

[bluecountry]

Aaaaannd NOVA wonders why the rest of the state feels the way they do about them.

Exhibit fuckin' A right here, folks.

And the dude I quoted is why NOVA and Megalopolis folks feel the way they do about the outer regions, they want to siphon sparse funding for their own pork that is funded by the relative prosperity of the urban areas. 
I-81 comes after I-95, thank you.

Its human nature to hate "the other". Especially if "the other" has obvious advantages. NOVA has DC proximity. That's really it, but its enough to make it by far the most populous and wealthy area of the state.

Yea, how would ROVA do without NOVA?  My god they would have to raid taxes or become WVA.  I think the deal benefits them far more.

[hbelkins]

Aaaaannd NOVA wonders why the rest of the state feels the way they do about them.

Exhibit fuckin' A right here, folks.

And the dude I quoted is why NOVA and Megalopolis folks feel the way they do about the outer regions, they want to siphon sparse funding for their own pork that is funded by the relative prosperity of the urban areas. 
I-81 comes after I-95, thank you.

Highway projects are typically funded by the gas tax. Does anyone have access to figures showing how much gas tax revenue is collected in each county or independent city?