By Ashley McLeod, Staff Writer
Jan 16, 2015, 16:15
PRINCE GEORGE — Residents of Prince George can breathe a sigh of relief as the Virginia Department of Transportation has announced the proposed work to Route 460 will not interfere with any properties in the local area.
On Tuesday, VDOT announced that of the five alternative measures offered, the least environmentally damaging would be that which would improve only 17 miles of the route, from Suffolk to west of Zuni.
The report stated that the best option in question would be to create a four-lane divided highway from the US 460/58 interchange in Suffolk, to the western area of Windsor. From Windsor to Zuni, the road would just be an upgrade of the existing highway, improving the road to a four-lane divided highway. This option would also involve a new bridge to be developed across the Blackwater River, which would stop future flooding in that area of the road.
The total span of road improvement for the area would only be 17 miles, as opposed to other plans, which would affect more than 50 miles of road.
The topic of action on reconstructing 460 has been in talks, and in action, for at least 10 years, with nearly $300 million already spent to improve the road.
The proposed improvements will cost approximately $375 million to $425 million, according to the recent study released by VDOT, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who have been working in conjunction to decide which option for construction on the road would be in the best interest of the state, as well as its residents.
The initial construction on 460 was halted approximately a year ago due to concerns after an environmental impact study was released stating that too many acres of wetlands in the area of the road would be disturbed by the new construction plans.
The plan for 460 is still in the works, as no official alternative has been chosen. The recent announcement was an indication from VDOT and partners of the most environmentally safe and best option, but will still need to be approved by state and federal officials.
Summary of the recommended Preferred Alternative:
• Wetland impacts – 52 acres
• Displacements – 22, including 15 residential properties, 3 commercial properties, 3 farms and one non-profit property
• Safety – 41 percent lower than the no-build alternative
• Evacuation capacity – 13,400 vehicles per hour with seven lanes of contraflow versus the no-build alternative
• Mobility – improves safety and mobility by separating local and regional traffic
The plans for 460 also follow an announcement by Gov. Terry McAuliffe on his plans for the transportation sector.
“I am pleased to work with Chairman Chris Jones on a legislative package that puts the taxpayers first, making sure transportation dollars are invested wisely while addressing critical transportation needs across Virginia,” McAuliffe said.
The announcement introduced changes to the Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA), also known as the P3 program. The 460 project was included under the P3 program previously which according to McAuliffe was not the right decision and cost taxpayers money.
“The P3 program was the wrong procurement tool to deliver the U.S. 460 project in southeastern Virginia, which cost taxpayers $300 million with nothing to show for it,” said McAuliffe in the press release.
He said no person was held accountable for the problems involved with the previous work on 460. The new program aims to prevent situations like the 460 project from happening again, protecting taxpayer money from being wasted.
