Ben Cline got us $17 million for Interstate 81 improvements: No, that’s not a lot

Lame-duck MAGA Congressman Ben Cline has been highlighting, for months, his push to get $17 million in the federal budget for Interstate 81 improvements.

Go to Cline’s Facebook page – there’s a video there from WHSV-TV3 posted on July 25, 2025, featuring Chelsea Church, who, turns out, is a former AFP intern, reporting on the budget amendment from our guy.

You might be wondering, how much can $17 million do for us?

Answer: not much.

• A basic fresh asphalt overlay runs $200,000 per lane-mile.
• Concrete overlay: $1.5 million per lane-mile.
• Adding a new lane to an existing stretch is, on the low end, $3 million per mile.

So, that $17 million could add a third lane for two or three miles, put a fresh topping of asphalt for 40 or 50 miles.

I mean, if I’m spending it, I’m trying to get as much bang for the buck that I can get.

Keep in mind, Interstate 81 runs 324.92 miles in Virginia, from the Maryland border down to the Tennessee border.

That’s why VDOT is saying it’s going to cost $5 billion to do what needs to be done to get our stretch of I-81 up to speed between now and 2040.

Cline’s $17 million, which is official as of this week, with Donald Trump signing the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill into law, represents 0.34 percent of that $5 billion.

You wouldn’t know that, from the quote that Cline had his office put out in his name in the press release touting this as some sort of major achievement.

“This funding allows us to begin tackling persistent safety and congestion challenges while laying the groundwork for future capacity improvements. Adding a third lane to I-81 will improve reliability, support economic growth, and deliver lasting benefits for communities throughout the entire Sixth District and beyond,” Cline said.

So, interesting – Cline envisions his $17 million going toward adding a third lane at selection locations.

Which means, what, maybe five miles?

Cline seems to be staking his case for another term on this.

November is not going to be fun for him.