Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992 TAG: 9202200290
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
LOCALITIES NOW UNANIMOUS ON LINK
Another local government body reaffirmed its support for the direct link Wednesday.Blacksburg Town Council, by a 5-2 vote, adopted a resolution expressing its support not only for the Blacksburg-to-Roanoke link known as Alternative 3-A, but also the bypass-to-bypass connector, Alternative 6. Waldon Kerns and Michael Chandler cast the negative votes.
Similar measures have been passed in the last several days by the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, the Christiansburg Town Council and the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. The Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to approve both projects when it meets today.
Unlike Monday's supervisors' meeting when an excited crowd packed the courtroom, no citizens attended Wednesday's council meeting. The only fireworks came from the council members themselves.
Kerns once again objected to the idea of the bypass-to-bypass connector's hooking into Interstate 81. The new resolution contains language that leaves the decision about such an interchange up to the state Department of Transportation.
Kerns explained, "As an economist, there is no way I can support both these roads going into there [Interstate 81]. That's one of the reasons I supported Alternative 6."
In March 1990, Kerns' protests got council to change its resolution to oppose such a connection. But this time he could not sway the rest of council.
"It's very important to Christiansburg," said Councilwoman Joyce Lewis. "And we should all be saying the same thing to VDOT. . . . We have to consider what is important to the region, not just to the seven of us."
Mayor Roger Hedgepeth told council it should pass the resolution unchanged so it would be in agreement with the other governing bodies.
"The [Montgomery County] board voted 5-2 in favor of this because of my saying the council would support [Alternative] 3-A," Hedgepeth said.
Councilman Lewis Barnett did propose an amendment that would have struck the language about the interstate connection for the bypass-to-bypass link, making it silent on the issue. But it never came to a vote.
Chandler said after the brief meeting his vote was a reflection of his long-stated position against Alternative 6. He indicated a properly designed bypass-to-bypass road would handle the traffic needs. Chandler was absent when the matter was voted on in March 1990.
The new resolution also adds language stating the council takes no position on the proposed interchange at Virginia 723 with the direct link and would not be opposed to its exclusion.
\ ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 21, 1992.
Because of reporter and editor errors, the names of the two major proposed highways were reversed in a story Thursday about Blacksburg Town Council's action. Alternate 6 is the Roanoke-Blacksburg link, or "smart road." Alternate 3-A is the U.S. 460 bypass.
Memo: Correction