ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605060048
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
The following are questions commonly asked about the ``smart'' road. The information to answer those questions comes from the Virginia Department of Transportation's 63-page document released Friday.
What is the smart road, how long will it take to build and how much will it cost?
The smart road is an approximately six-mile link from Blacksburg to Interstate 81 that eventually may become part of Interstate 73. The road will be built in four stages, the first stage of which is a two-mile test bed from Blacksburg to the Ellett Valley that would be used to test transportation technology.
The first stage is scheduled to go out for construction bids in the fall. There are no definite construction dates, but Virginia Tech officials have said they would like to see a prototype by 2002.
The rest of the road, not including a scenic overlook and research demonstration center, could be finished between 2010 and 2015. The new construction cost estimate for the entire project is $98 million; $26 million of that goes toward the test bed and bridges. The previous cost estimate was $103 million.
Transportation benefits, the report says, include safer, more efficient travel that also will save time and fuel through improved access between I-81 and Blacksburg. This enhances "local, regional and national traffic flow."
How will the road be funded?
The smart road will be funded with state and federal money. So far, approximately $6 million has been allocated for this project, which includes $4.8 million from federal demonstration funds and the remaining $1.2 million from the state. The federal funds cannot be used on any project other than the smart road.
Another $24.9 million "has been planned for allocation."
What kind of technology would be tested on the smart road?
Fully automated vehicles, traveler information and traffic management systems would be tested.
Why can't Alternative 3A be used as a test bed for transportation research?
(Alternative 3A is another road project in Montgomery County that would relieve traffic congestion on U.S. 460 by connecting the Blacksburg and Christiansburg bypasses and then linking the Christiansburg bypass at Roanoke Street to Interstate 81.)
The report cites several reasons why Alternative 3A would not make a good test bed, including a lack of adequate distance between interchanges on the road and a lack of infrastructure support for research such as water and power service.
Also, traffic on certain portions of the road would have to be closed off for hours or days at a time, an unacceptable proposition on such a heavily traveled road. Dan Brugh, VDOT's resident engineer, said temporary detours could be built along the smart road when road closure is necessary, which could not be done on 3A because of space constraints.
The report does say 3A could be used as a temporary, short-term test bed during construction if it is built in phases. In that case, the southbound lanes between Blacksburg and the new U.S. 460 bypass at Peppers Ferry Road could be used for testing, but would not be available once it is open to traffic.
A long-term test bed on 3A, which would cost about $20 million, could be constructed as a parallel lane to 3A's southbound lane between Blacksburg and the new U.S. 460 bypass, the report adds. A concrete barrier would separate the test bed from 3A.
A sewage pumping station, relocation of eight additional families and 19 additional acres of right of way would be required.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board would have to decide whether the cost of this alternative would be appropriate without "concurrent transportation benefits."
"Having a test bed parallel to 3A would preclude any future widening of 3A without enormous cost," the report concludes.
What would happen to Alternative 3A if the smart road is not built?
An additional 24,000 cars would travel on Alternative 3A, which would require an expansion to six lanes by 2010 at a cost of $5.5 million. Alternative 3A currently is designed to have four lanes.
Adding two more lanes would cost another $60 million to $70 million and each interchange would have to be redesigned and expanded.
Are there alternative locations for the research portion of the smart road?
The current location for the smart road was chosen after nearly 10 years of environmental and engineering studies.
"If the project is dropped, the question of an alternative site would have to be considered anew. It is unlikely that any such proposal would be favorably received at federal or state levels," the report says.
What types of jobs would be created by the smart road?
The total number of new jobs cannot be predicted, the report says, but the state predicts at least 318 construction-related jobs would be created while the smart road is being built. Several hundred jobs in research and industry-related spinoff also would be created.
Private sector companies that deal in technology such as wireless communication, fiber optics, electronics, robotics and software development would be attracted to Montgomery County because of the smart road, according to New Century Council Director Bev Fitzpatrick, a smart road supporter.
The report also says the recognition of Virginia Tech's automated vehicle research would attract top researchers, students and jobs to Montgomery County.
How will the road affect storm runoff into Wilson and Den creeks (feeders into the North Fork of the Roanoke River)?
VDOT says the road would comply with erosion and sediment control regulations, which requires that there be an insignificant increase in runoff during peak flow, and that runoff not cause pollution or erosion problems downstream
How much pasture land will be taken?
It will remove approximately 31 acres of pasture from the 2,800-acre conservation district. The remainder of the 140 acres is woodlands, most of which is not commercially valuable for logging, VDOT concluded.
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