THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502220455
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANCIE LATOUR, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
In less than three years, the Jordan Bridge could be among the most high-tech and elegant in the state, with electronic toll-takers and sloping cables that resemble New York's famous Verrazano-Narrows bridge.
That was the tempting vision offered Tuesday to the Chesapeake City Council by Rebuild Inc., a firm that wants to build the bridge.
It would be the first project undertaken under a public-private partnership billpassed by the House of Delegates in a 98-1 vote on Monday and which earlier had cleared the Senate.
The bill would permit businesses to build and operate parts of Virginia's road systems as toll roads, bypassing many state regulations and yielding a profit for private lenders who invest in the roads.
Gov. George F. Allen is expected to sign the bill, which would become law in July.
The measure could mean new life for a bridge city officials said they had feared they could never resuscitate alone.
The old Jordan Bridge connecting South Norfolk to Portsmouth was closed in May after it jammed during an opening. City engineers said that it would be more efficient to replace rather than repair it.
The private-public partnership bill may turn what could have been an abstract lecture on a bridge into a possibility one council member called ``astounding.''
``There's no other word for it,'' said Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff, shaking his head. ``It's an outstanding timetable, and does it pay for the same thing on Battlefield Boulevard?''
Rebuild also raised hopes that other needed projects in the region could be pushed forward using the same financing system.
The company has developed a package of six such projects in Hampton Roads, including building a bypass for South Battlefield Boulevard and the Oak Grove connector, linking the Great Bridge Bypass and Interstate 464. It is also considering two Portsmouth projects: the Martin Luther King Expressway and the Pinner's Point Bypass. Those roads would be used by commuters in Suffolk and Portsmouth.
Gen. Charles Williams, executive vice president and managing director for Rebuild, said that localities such as Chesapeake can't afford to wade through any more red tape if they want to meet urgent road needs.
``I believe that the public sector has its own purpose,'' Williams said, ``but if we're going to get the tunnels, roads, bridges and connectors done, we're going to have to look at alternatives. And that means letting the private sector help.''
How much Rebuild will get in exchange for that help is still in question. Williams resisted saying how much the city would need to invest or how high the tolls would be.
That made many council members cautious.
``We of course are very excited,'' said Mayor William E. Ward to the team of five on hand from Rebuild. ``But we have to look hard at any public project where public dollars are being spent, because we have 180,000 citizens whose interests we have to protect.''
The public-private measure does not require the city to put the projects up for competitive bids, but Chesapeake would have to sign a contract with whoever builds the bridge and invest some money up front. The city and state would have a role in setting toll prices and controlling future increases.
Rebuild, based in Sterling, Va., estimated the bridge would cost $110 million to build. It would have four lanes, rather than the two on the old Jordan Bridge. Automated toll machines would replace the hassle of exchanging coins or bills with sensors that would keep track of the traffic and send drivers a monthly bill.
With high arch spans and about 150-foot clearance for passing ships, the bridge would also eliminate the 15-minute wait that had plagued commuters on the old drawbridge.
Williams called the bridge an ``economic shot in the arm'' for the city, generating more than 250 jobs within the first three months of construction.
As an African American and a 29-year-old veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers, Williams also guaranteed a level of minority contracting that surpasses most publicly funded projects.
``We're prepared to sign up to 13 percent of minority- and women-owned firms for participation in this project. We can control that because we are the ones responsible for hiring the companies.''
That commitment translates into a potential $12 million for minority vendors in the region, Williams said.
Williams said Rebuild would turn to Virginia businesses before buying out of state.
Under the partnership, Rebuild would own all permits for the project and be in charge of finding investors and contracting all outside builders, engineers and consultants. Williams said his company anticipated owning and operating the bridge for 40 years, after which the city or state could reclaim it.
Rebuild proposed efforts to address environmental concerns, including building the bridge on piers that damage less wetlands, maintaining the existing footprint of the bridge and involving state and federal environmental agencies early in the process. ILLUSTRATION: Map
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