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…

Group raises issue with funding for Charlottesville bypass

Chris Graham

On Wednesday, July 20th, the Commonwealth Transportation Board will be asked to sign-off on an expedited and controversial initiative of Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton. “We believe Secretary Connaughton has taken an overly aggressive stance on long-controversial transportation projects, and in doing so, is making major spending decisions without adequate analysis, public input or…

Study examines issues with Virginia’s secondary roads

Chris Graham

Today Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton announced the publication of a new study titled Policy Options for Secondary Road Construction and Management in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The study, authored by Dr. Jonathan L. Gifford, a professor at the George Mason University School of Public Policy, discusses historical aspects of Virginia’s secondary roads policy,…

Local projects recognized by Valley Conservation Council

Chris Graham

The Valley Conservation Council announced the winners of its 2011 Better Models for Development Awards at a ceremony held on May 25 at Court Square Theater in Downtown Harrisonburg. This year’s 12 winners demonstrate a variety of approaches to building and development that enhance the character of Shenandoah Valley communities while minimizing impacts on resources….

Pothole blitz: 100K and counting

Chris Graham

The Virginia Department of Transportation has repaired more than 108,000 potholes throughout the Commonwealth since the governor launched the 2011 pothole blitz campaign March 8. “Virginia’s transportation network is vital to our economic prosperity and connects people to their work, homes, families and friends,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said. “Although the milder winter we experienced this…

McDonnell signs transportation-funding legislation

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell signed into law on Monday what backers are terming the most significant investment in the Commonwealth’s transportation system in a generation. The legislation, HB2527 and SB1446, sponsored by Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) and State Sens. Chuck Colgan (D-Manassas) and William Wampler (R-Bristol), creates a framework to invest nearly $4 billion into Virginia’s…