Virginia

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: Is Washington becoming a Tysons suburb?

Is the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States and the free world, becoming a suburb of the economic powerhouse a few miles west?

With the growth of Tysons Corner ... err ... Tysons, Fairfax County leaders seem to think so.

[Takumi]

The ALT interstate posting is not prevalent in Virginia.  I think I've only seen it one other time, with I-81 in Christiansburg to Roanoke area.

It was, notably, the full word Alternate, which is itself rarely used in Virginia anymore. The picture I got of it was a bit blurry, even though I probably had all day to take it since exit 24 is home to absolutely nothing. I'll post it once I upload it.

[cpzilliacus]

From NVTA:  October 23rd Fairfax County Parkway Town Hall Meeting

The Fairfax County Parkway is an original Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance priority and one of Northern Virginia's great transportation success stories.

In fact it has been so successful that it is becoming increasingly choked by congestion, in large part because there are too many signalized intersections and too few grade-separated interchanges.

Fairfax County Parkway Town Hall Meeting
7 p.m., October 23rd (Tuesday)
James W. Robinson Secondary School
5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax

[cpzilliacus]

From the NVTA: Save the Planet. Expand the Highway Network

[WillWeaverRVA]

This is relatively unimportant, but VA 161's northern end is now signed from US 1, five years after I emailed VDOT about it.

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: FBI investigating Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, according to sources

TOLLROADSnews: Metro Washington authority subject of FBI probe as well as USDOT inquiry

WTOP Radio: FBI issues subpoenas to airports board

[cpzilliacus]

Washington DC has had normal looking (i.e. blue color) I-395 ALT shields although I don't know if they are still up.  Pretty sure these are NOT related to any construction.

Those can be found at (seemingly) random places around D.C. near I-395.  As best as I can tell, there is no rhyme or reason as to why they were installed.

[NE2]

Washington DC has had normal looking (i.e. blue color) I-395 ALT shields although I don't know if they are still up.  Pretty sure these are NOT related to any construction.

Those can be found at (seemingly) random places around D.C. near I-395.  As best as I can tell, there is no rhyme or reason as to why they were installed.

Mark them on a map and you may find a pattern.

[Takumi]

More debate on road funding.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/nov/11/tdmet01-area-planning-district-commission-urges-la-ar-2352517/

[cpzilliacus]

D.C. Examiner: Drivers with Northern Virginia car club receive summonses

Authorities issued summonses to drivers with a Northern Virginia car club on Sunday after they were seen driving recklessly, The (Staunton, Va.) News Leader reported.

About 10:40 a.m. Sunday, a group of 15 to 20 sports cars were spotted in Augusta County. The group reportedly was speeding, cutting other drivers off and passing over double yellow lines while on a drive.

[cpzilliacus]

More debate on road funding.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/nov/11/tdmet01-area-planning-district-commission-urges-la-ar-2352517/

They seem to have changed the URL for that article as part of a revamping of the T-D Web site:

Area planning district commission urges lawmakers to index gas tax

[cpzilliacus]

Richmond Times Dispatch: Va. State Police reduces aerial speed enforcement

The Virginia State Police has scaled back an aerial speed limit enforcement program due to the program's costs and other factors.

Since 2008, 87 tickets have resulted from troopers patrolling interstates in Cessna 182 airplanes. Troopers issued 5,117 tickets between 2000, when the General Assembly approved the program, and 2008.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller says the state police had to reduce expenses because of decreased federal funding, state budget cuts and a manpower shortage. Bad weather forced the cancellation of some missions.

[cpzilliacus]

Richmond Times Dispatch: Watkins transportation plan: Higher gas tax, lower income tax rates

A Richmond-area legislator is proposing a combination of higher gasoline taxes, lower income tax rates for working Virginians and elimination of almost a dozen tax exemptions to help finance a state transportation program that's running out of money to operate.

Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, briefed members of the Senate Finance Committee today about a transportation financing plan that he intends to roll out publicly tomorrow at a meeting of the Mayors and Chairs of Virginia's Urban Crescent in Henrico County.

[cpzilliacus]

TOLLROADSnews: Chesapeake VA closes on $303m borrowing for Dominion Boulevard toll upgrade

The City of Chesapeake closed this week on nearly $303m of borrowings to finance a major bridge replacement over the South Branch of the Elizabeth River designated as the Intra Coastal Waterway plus upgrade of nearly 4 miles of approach road on Dominion Boulevard US17. The City which has operated the tolled Chesapeake Expressway since 2001 is within a week or so of selecting of a construction firm for the Dominion Boulevard project from eleven bids received in response to a RFP in September.

[cpzilliacus]

PilotOnline.Com: VDOT to hold public meetings on I-95 toll plan

Virginia transportation officials will hold three public meetings next month on the state's proposal to use toll revenue to improve Interstate 95.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has scheduled meetings for Dec. 10 in Sussex, Dec. 12 in Chester and Dec. 17 in Fredericksburg to give the public an update on the proposal.

[cpzilliacus]

Peter Galuszka in the Washington Post: The dark side of Va.'s public-private road deals

Seventeen years ago, Virginia passed what was said to be one of most progressive pieces of legislation in the country. The Public-Private Transportation Act would help build road in the tax-averse state by shifting some of the cost and management to the private sector.

The result has been 14 miles of adjusted-toll HOT lanes on Interstate 495 in Northern Virginia, proposed extensions to tunnels in Hampton Roads, superhighway connectors in the Richmond area and a planned $1.4 billion road linking Suffolk to Petersburg.

But just how much oversight is there in such public-private partnerships? Hardly any, argues James J. Regimbal Jr., a transportation analyst in a new report published by the nonprofit Southern Environmental Law Center.

Regimbal paints a disturbing, if not scary, picture of how the Old Dominion operates something like a dictatorship when it comes to deciding to move forward on road projects involving public-private partnerships.

[Beltway]

The Southern Environmental Law Center is a radical environmentalist, anti-roads obstructionist group.

[NE2]

In other words they're the good guys.

[cpzilliacus]

The Southern Environmental Law Center is a radical environmentalist, anti-roads obstructionist group.

And Bacon's Rebellion, even though I like some of the things it runs, has taken money from the Piedmont Environmental Council, at least in the past.

[cpzilliacus]

Hey man, look at all the cop cars. Was that a garage door? What is this, some kinda police station?

Someone drove a car through a garage door in the rear of the Fairfax City police headquarters early Thursday, chugged through the sallyport and then plowed right through the other garage door, basically destroying them both. This put the car inside the gated police parking lot behind headquarters, Sgt. Joe Johnson said. But the driver was able to pull up to the gate, which automatically grants egress, and drive away.

[cpzilliacus]

TOLLROADSnews: Floodgate at Midtown Tunnel Norfolk VA kept Sandy closure to less than half a day

The Midtown Tunnel In Norfolk VA has had a flood gate at its eastern portal since it opened in 1962. A tide 7 foot above average sea level - just 2 or 3 feet above a normal high tide - is enough to cause the approach roads to be inundated, so flooding is a regular concern. Bruce Wilkerson chief operating officer of Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) says the Tunnel relies heavily on its floodgate which has been an indispensable component since the Tunnel opened.

Wilkerson says the Midtown Tunnel has taken in water at its Norfolk portal requiring floodgate closures on many occasions in its 50 year life. Now there's more emphasis on getting the tunnel cleared of water and back in operation in several hours. In its early years closures were measured in days.

[Mapmikey]

Design unveiled for new I-95 Exit 140 for SR 630 Stafford C.H.
http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/11/30/new-stafford-courthouse-interchange-plans-unveiled/

The article includes before and after visual rendition.

The updated interchange includes a new SR 630 routing that connects directly with the Stafford Hospital entrance at US 1 (this road already connects with SR 630 east of US 1).

The interchange will have a significantly larger footprint as EB and WB 630 are spread way out.  The commuter lot will be moved to the opposite side of 630 from where it is now and all the gas stations plus the McDonalds will be torn down.

Construction is anticipated for early 2016.

Mapmikey

[cpzilliacus]

Design unveiled for new I-95 Exit 140 for SR 630 Stafford C.H.
http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/11/30/new-stafford-courthouse-interchange-plans-unveiled/

The article includes before and after visual rendition.

The updated interchange includes a new SR 630 routing that connects directly with the Stafford Hospital entrance at US 1 (this road already connects with SR 630 east of US 1).

The interchange will have a significantly larger footprint as EB and WB 630 are spread way out.  The commuter lot will be moved to the opposite side of 630 from where it is now and all the gas stations plus the McDonalds will be torn down.

Construction is anticipated for early 2016.

Huge improvement over what is there today (which I believe dates back to the construction of this section of I-95 in the 1960's). 

The article points out that this is the last remaining diamond interchange in Stafford County.

I realize that the extension of the HOV (Toll) lanes won't get as far as south as Stafford, but  I hope that if they were to be extended in the future, that the design takes that possibility into account.

[Beltway]

Design unveiled for new I-95 Exit 140 for SR 630 Stafford C.H.
http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/11/30/new-stafford-courthouse-interchange-plans-unveiled/

The article includes before and after visual rendition.

The updated interchange includes a new SR 630 routing that connects directly with the Stafford Hospital entrance at US 1 (this road already connects with SR 630 east of US 1).

The interchange will have a significantly larger footprint as EB and WB 630 are spread way out.  The commuter lot will be moved to the opposite side of 630 from where it is now and all the gas stations plus the McDonalds will be torn down.

Construction is anticipated for early 2016.

Mapmikey

$175 million for that???

[NJRoadfan]

I realize that the extension of the HOV (Toll) lanes won't get as far as south as Stafford, but  I hope that if they were to be extended in the future, that the design takes that possibility into account.

Looks like it does in the rendering. The plan seems overkill though. I thought NJ had a monopoly on that style of interchange!