Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507310147
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: HERNDON LENGTH: Short
The investment partnership that owns the Greenway will pay the state police about $500,000 a year for the exclusive services of eight troopers and one sergeant, according to an agreement that will be formally signed next week.
The Greenway owners also will pay the costs of buying the troopers new cars, uniforms, guns, other equipment and supplies, state police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said.
While several police departments in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland allow officers to work for private businesses when they are off duty, on-duty officers rarely, if ever, are hired out.
``It's a unique concept,'' said Col. M. Wayne Huggins, state police superintendent. ``We're providing a service with no cost to the taxpayer.''
The 14.5-mile road will open in September. The $325 million road, a four-lane divided highway which has taken seven years to build, is expected to carry 68,000 cars a day by 2000.
The troopers assigned to the road will spend most of their time chasing speeders, helping stranded motorists and working accidents, Caldwell said. There will be at least two officers on duty at all times, she said.
``They will look, feel and act like state police,'' Greenway spokeswoman Suzanne Conrad said, ``but they will be exclusively ours.''
Unlike other state troopers, those working the Greenway will be limited to patrolling the highway.
- Associated Press
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.