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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995                   TAG: 9502210072
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

I-73 PLAN BRINGS JOY TO BENT MT.

But something else came up. Something good, by their account, so out went the agenda and in came the party.

Instead of stepping up opposition efforts as planned, leaders of the Blue Ridge Interstate Impact Network celebrated Friday after learning that the Commonwealth Transportation Board had decided to call for I-73 to run along existing Interstates 81 and 581.

Interstate 73 is a proposed highway that would run from Detroit to Charleston, S.C. The board's action put to rest - for now - a controversial Bent Mountain crossing. At the same time, it reassured business leaders who want the highway to pass through Roanoke.

``I was overjoyed,'' said Frank Terry Jr., a Bent Mountain landowner who supported the citizens' opposition group. ``I think that's the greatest decision they could have made.''

The Blue Ridge Interstate Impact Network formed last spring, after Bent Mountain showed up on maps that highlighted a five-mile-wide corridor that I-73 could take through Roanoke. Intensive lobbying efforts by the group and the subsequent involvement of the Roanoke Valley Business Council got the attention of local governments.

Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County endorsed a proposal to run the corridor along U.S. 460 from Bluefield, W.Va., to Blacksburg's ``smart'' road. From there, the corridor would link up with I-81 and connect with U.S. 220 to North Carolina.

The resolution adopted by the Transportation Board on Thursday follows that proposal, but specifically adds I-81 and I-581 to the Roanoke Valley corridor.

The decision is proof that an organized community can influence policy-making, Terry said.

``The citizens united in a single cause. They came together to prevent their homes and farms from being paved over,'' he said.

Diane Rosolowsky, spokeswoman for the Blue Ridge Interstate Impact Network, said the group accomplished more than stopping this road from crossing Bent Mountain.

``A lot of people became aware of the need to participate in these issues,'' she said. ``We also had considerable success with the Federal Highway Administration people. That's a line of communication we opened that wasn't there before.''

Rosolowsky said the group will remain active - in some form.

``We may rename ourselves and we may not have exactly the same approach, but our group has become a pretty cohesive, focused citizens' group. We will continue to work to nudge our officials toward a more open and conciliatory planning process.''

The citizens' group isn't the only faction pleased by the Transportation Board's vote. County officials, business leaders and even supporters of the I-73/Bent Mountain route said Monday they are happy the corridor will pass through Roanoke, because it will promote development and economic growth.

``I'm just plum tickled to death,'' said jeweler Russell Amrhein, even though he had spoken out in favor of I-73 crossing Bent Mountain. ``I'm just glad to see I-73 come through our area, period. That's what's important. I didn't want to see it go over to Wytheville.''

County Administrator Elmer Hodge said a link with North Carolina is important to the Roanoke area because it will ``open up the entire region, just as I-81 did 30 years ago.''

Hodge also said, however, that engineering and feasibility studies will have to be done before a final decision is made at the federal level.

Where the highway goes - and indeed, whether it goes anywhere - are decisions that Congress will make, and as Supervisor Lee Eddy pointed out, a lot can change over time.

``Construction on this road is 15 or 20 years off in the future,'' Eddy said. ``Who knows what could happen before then, but I hope this is the end for the time being.''