Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
R.A., Troutville
A: There are two reasons: the cost of signs; and road safety that comes from being consistent.
More than 200 signs give motorists the message that I-81 is getting a smooth asphalt covering over its rough, patchy concrete in Botetourt.
The contractor needed a week to erect signposts. For that kind of money, the state Department of Transportation wants to install the signs only once.
Also, traffic engineers say a consistent message to motorists is a key to safety. It's dangerous to change speed limits daily.
Your observation regarding I-81's work zone has been echoed by others on the Roy L. Webber Highway project in Roanoke, where the speed limit is down to 45 while two lanes are being added.
A motorist on Webber last week said the only activity going on was two police cars monitoring traffic with radar. Much of the work is done at night, though.
The police are serious: The fine can be $250 for speeding in a construction zone. The limit on Webber will last until November, but the one in Botetourt County goes until fall of 1996.
Firefighting backups
Q: Who pays all the firefighters who came here to fight the Craig County forest fires? How were they fed?
M.G., Salem
A: That was our tax dollars at work. Between $1 million and $2 million from the federal treasury will be dispensed after all the bills and timecards are in.
Many firefighters were U.S. Forest Service employees and will receive the money in their regular paycheck. Others were members of the Job Corps, and will be paid much the same way.
Some local restaurant chains sent pizza and sandwiches to the fire areas, but the big meals were served at the Salem Civic Center by Valley Catering. The government probably will pay about $100,000 for three squares a day, eaten 750 to 1,000 at a time for a week by working firefighters.
"It was a nightmare. I've done a lot of big jobs, but that was the biggest," said Ray Grahame, catering manager. "These guys could eat, too. Some of them really threw it down."
A few other expenses: Some local volunteer fire companies will be paid for rental of their trucks, if they had a prior agreement with the Forest Service.
A charter bus company will be paid for shuttling firefighters between their rest area at the civic center and the roadside dropoffs near the fires.
From there, National Guard trucks and other vehicles ferried the crews and equipment dozens of miles over forest roads to the fire lines. Thirty-eight Guardsmen participated.
The Roanoke Valley Red Cross chapter set up 300 cots and blankets at the civic center and rounded up 400 more from chapters as far away as Charlottesville.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.
by CNB