McDonnell touts transportation plan

Chris Graham

An analysis of 10 highway projects funded by Gov. Bob McDonnell’s 2011 $4 billion transportation program shows they will provide nearly 3,700 direct jobs during their construction, $190.8 million in personal income, $14.8 million in state and local tax revenues and other benefits to Virginia. “The Virginia Department of Transportation advertised more than $2 billion…

Governor releases transportation plan

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Friday details of his 2012 General Assembly session transportation plan, wihch he said will provide additional funding for maintaining Virginia’s infrastructure and will continue the administration’s efforts to ensure greater accountability and transparency in Virginia’s transportation entities while delivering transportation projects more quickly and cost effectively. “Last year, working across…

McDonnell announces initiative to eliminate state mandates on localities

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell, joined by members of the Governor’s Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review, today announced specific legislation to eliminate burdensome state mandates on localities. Today’s announcement is part of a continuing effort to reduce burdensome state mandates on localities. In September 2011, McDonnell announced the creation of the Governor’s Task Force for…

Snow causes multi-car crash on I-81 in Harrisonburg

Chris Graham

The Virginia State Police along with the assistance of local emergency agencies are investigating a multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 in the area of the 243 mile marker in the City of Harrisonburg. At approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, a sudden snow squall came through the area that caused limited visibility and…

McDonnell: More than $2B in road, bridge contracts advertised in 2011

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Wednesday that the Virginia Department of Transportation advertised more than $2 billion worth of construction and maintenance contracts during 2011. Contracts include repaving, bridge repairs and replacements, intersection and safety improvements and road widenings among several other transportation projects across the state. “I tasked VDOT to push projects out the…

McDonnell outlines roads plan

Chris Graham

Speaking to more than 700 hundred industry and transportation agency professionals during the 2011 Governor’s Transportation Conference in Norfolk, Gov. Bob McDonnell today outlined his transportation policy and funding plans for the upcoming 2012 General Assembly Session. The governor called for changes in laws governing the allocation of future surpluses to transportation, dedicating portions of…

Administration pushes state roads projects through design-build

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell today announced that the Virginia Department of Transportation is using design-build procurement methods to accelerate the delivery of several projects made possible through the governor’s transportation funding package which was adopted by the 2011 General Assembly, and other federal dollars. The design-build procurement method streamlines project delivery by placing responsibility for the…

McDonnell announces access to online accident-info system

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Wednesday the first phase of a new online interactive database of state crash information that is free and open to the public. The state-of-the-art automated Traffic Records Electronic Data System centralizes Virginia’s crash data and related information from multiple agencies into one location. Now, for the first time, the public…

Quake! Virginia hit by 5.8 magnitude temblor

Chris Graham

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake with an epicenter near Mineral in Louisa County was reported on Tuesday, causing tremors as far away as New York, Ohio, and the Carolinas. According to Dr. Alton Dooley, associate curator of paleontology at the Virginia Museum of Natural History, this was one of the largest earthquakes in Virginia’s recorded history,…

CTB approves funds for Charlottesville bypass

Chris Graham

The Commonwealth Transportation Board today allocated funding for construction of the Route 29 Charlottesville Western Bypass in Albemarle County. The CTB amended its Six-Year Improvement Program to provide $197 million for construction of the Western Bypass and an additional $33 million to widen Route 29 to six lanes from the South Fork Rivanna River north…