ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, July 12, 1996 TAG: 9607120035
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
Oral arguments for a lawsuit filed by several New River Valley environmental groups to block further planning of the "smart" road will be heard Aug. 16 in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
The case ultimately could be decided by a judge before it goes to a trial on Oct. 7.
The New River Valley Greens filed a lawsuit against state and federal highway planners in November, which asks the court to order a more complete environmental review of the areas affected by the smart road. The national Sierra Club and the New River Valley Environmental Coalition later joined the case.
The environmental groups filed a motion for summary judgment in June. The defendants - the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration - filed motions for summary judgment and dismissal this week. Virginia Transportation Secretary Robert Martinez was dropped from the lawsuit as a defendant in April.
The lawsuit includes the following charges:
* Further environmental impact studies were not conducted after "substantial alterations" were made to the smart highway.
* A wildlife study was not done; birds and plant life were not adequately examined.
* Reasonable alternatives to construction of the highway were not examined.
* The model used to generate future traffic counts on the road was not disclosed.
The federal government maintains all environmental studies were complete and thorough, adding that changes in the smart road route were not significant enough to warrant a supplementary analysis. Transportation officials also said disclosure of traffic projections was complete.
The smart road is an approximately six-mile link between Blacksburg and Interstate 81 that is being promoted as a test bed for new transportation technology. The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors last month agreed to the removal of approximately 140 acres from an agricultural and forestal district, essentially allowing the project to move ahead.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to vote on the specific route and basic design of the smart road at its regular monthly meeting on Aug. 15. If the plans are approved, the Virginia Department of Transportation would immediately begin buying land needed for the right of way.
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