Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 5, 1992 TAG: 9203050311
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The bypass would get a $28 million boost, and the "smart road" linking Blacksburg to the Roanoke Valley would get a share of leftover gasoline tax money - enough to build the first two lanes.
The two Montgomery County projects are among dozens included in a statewide road-building program that depends on voter approval of a 2-cent increase in the gasoline tax. Virginia's tax is 17 1/2 cents a gallon.
The committee, working with an earlier version of the road bill, pared down the proposed borrowing to $443 million and set the referendum for July 14, rather than November.
The sooner the bonds are sold, the sooner the state can start on the projects, said Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, who heads the committee.
The bill goes to the House floor for a vote Friday.
Cranwell said the plan includes $210 million over seven years in "excess revenue" - money left over from paying the principal and interest on the bond issue.
That would be split between the "smart road" and 20 other projects around the state designated for that money.
"There's no competition here," Cranwell said. "Just wash that word out of your mind." There would be enough leftover money to pay for all 21 projects, which total about $165 million, he said.
Highway officials and Virginia Tech have touted the Blacksburg-Roanoke road as a testing ground for innovative electronic and fiber-optic technology geared at increasing highway speed and safety. The project has received $5.9 million in federal money to research the "smart" technology, called Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems.
That money, along with the gas tax revenue and other federal and private grants, would jump-start construction of the "smart road" within two years, said Highway Commissioner Ray Pethtel.
Each year, the state Board of Transportation would divvy up the excess tax money among the 21 projects, according to the timetable of each one. Pethtel's estimate of how much money would be available was lower than Cranwell's, though. He said it would be closer to $175 million, and that the total cost of the 21 projects is about $180 million.
As for the U.S. 460 bypass, Pethtel said the bond issue would cover most of the cost and speed construction. "Certainly it would have been a lot longer than now is the case," he said.
So far, the department has earmarked $589,000 through June for preliminary engineering on the bypass.
County leaders have pressed for a four-lane bypass around the traffic-clogged section of 460 between Christiansburg and Blacksburg. The area is fast becoming the retail center for the county and the New River Valley.
The two road projects hit some sharp curves this week as legislators pulled funding and then plugged it back into the bond package.
Cranwell originally included $28 million for the "smart road" in the bond package. That would be enough to build the first two lanes. But late Monday, as the bond package left a Senate committee, Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, switched that money to the bypass. He said reducing traffic along 460 was more important than getting into newfangled highway technology.
On Tuesday, the bill arrived at a House money committee and Del. Victor Thomas, D-Roanoke, reversed Marye's amendment.
Marye, reached Wednesday, said he was satisfied with the Finance Committee's rendition of the bond issue, including money for both Montgomery County roads.
"I can tell you that if Mr. Cranwell has put it in, I can guarantee you, he knows what he's doing. The money will be there when it's needed," Marye said.
"I'm happy."
So was Blacksburg Mayor Roger Hedgepeth, who for years has doggedly promoted the Blacksburg-Roanoke link as vital to the region's economic future.
He said that Monday's maneuver by Marye was sheer political posturing. "With all due respect, he flat out does not understand the purpose of the link," Hedgepeth said.
The link will serve as a psychological bridge between Tech, a top research institution, and Roanoke, with its cultural and industrial base.
Cranwell said the open-ended funding plan for the link could mean more money for the project.
"If the gas tax revenue collection exceeds our estimate, then there's a chance the projects would get more funding than if you locked them in at a certain amount," he said.
And it's unlikely people will start driving less, so gas sales should continue to increase, he said.
The House committee endorsed moving the referendum to July 14 to get the projects started more quickly.
"A major purpose of this legislation is to get people working again," said Del. David Brickley, D-Woodbridge. He said road contractors would miss an entire construction season if the referendum were held in November.
Associated Press contributed information to this story.
by CNB