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

DATE: SATURDAY, July 9, 1994                   TAG: 9407130011
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STATE LETS DOUBLE-DUTY CONSULTANT GO

RICHMOND - The state on Friday terminated its contract with a consulting firm it hired to do traffic studies on a proposed Walt Disney Co. theme park in the face of opposition to the firm by the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Transportation called the hiring of Dewberry & Davis of Fairfax County inappropriate because the firm already was under contract to Disney.

State Department of Transportation officials insisted there was no conflict and that federal authorities had previously approved the $8.7 million contract. But in a news release, it said Gov. George Allen terminated the agreement because ``it now appears the federal agency will reverse its decision and withdraw its approval.''

David R. Gehr, Virginia's transportation commissioner, said the state will send out requests for new bids next week on the 18-month contract. A new contractor should be chosen by August.

Dewberry & Davis, which is under contract to Disney through November, was hired by the company during the early stages of planning for the $650 million theme park to do traffic estimates.

The state contract is for preliminary design work for the proposed widening of eight miles of Interstate 66 and construction of an interchange to serve the Disney's America park near Haymarket. That work would be incorporated into the federal environmental impact statement analyzing the road projects' effect on traffic and air quality.

Asked whether the canceled contract would set back Virginia's review of Disney-related roads or jeopardize the theme park's scheduled 1998 opening, Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe said the project should not be delayed more than two months.

by CNB