
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, November 28, 1993                   TAG: 9311280012
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

STATE HIGHWAYS ARE GOING METRIC

In about two years, Virginia drivers will be able to go 104 kph on some of the state's highways. That's kilometers per hour, or about 65 mph.

Under a mandate from the federal government, all federally funded construction projects that go out for bids after September 1996 will contain only metric measurements. The Virginia Department of Transportation is preparing to switch from the English system of measuring in feet and miles.

For the first time, a Transportation Department survey crew has made metric measurements. Classes are being held to teach transportation workers and engineers the basics of the new system.

With most of the department's engineering now done with the help of computers, switching the software to convert from English units to metric units was easy.

Survey crews are buying metric survey rods, tapes and scales. Construction plans for projects are being drawn up in metric.

But Jim Harris, a state transportation engineer and member of a committee overseeing the conversion, said the major step is to convert road mileage signs.

The federal government is considering three options: modify the signs only as they need to be fixed; covert all the signs to metric at once; or install signs with both metric and English measurements. Harris said a decision will be made after the first of the year.

The state is giving a rough estimate of between $10 million and $15 million for the sign conversion. "We'd rather be building highways," an unnamed transportation official said.

But if the state does not convert to metric, federal highway money would dry up quicker than 1.25 milliliters -\ teaspoon - of water.

"I just wish it was over with already," Harris said. "I just wish it was behind us rather than in front of us."

Congress voted in 1975 to switch the United States to the metric system. A public backlash delayed the conversion, but the act was amended in 1988 to make the metric system the preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce.

Former President Bush signed an executive order in 1991 mandating federal agencies to convert to metric.

by CNB