THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604260007
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Any self-respecting metropolis should have a major-league team or two and a beltway.
Hampton Roads is still working to get its first major-league team, but recently it got its very own beltway.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board gave final approval last week to naming 55 miles of interstates 64 and 664 the Hampton Roads Beltway.
Now local residents can mutter big-city complaints like, ``Traffic was hell on the beltway today.''
Technically the beltway should be named the Portsmouth Beltway, since that is the only city it encircles. Portsmouth wouldn't mind the publicity.
But Hampton Roads Beltway is the right name, because it calls attention to this entire region's name (never mind that most of the region lies outside its own beltway).
Needless to say, more needs to be done to keep tourists from getting lost. As things stand, motorists following the East I-64 signs toward Suffolk must squint into the afternoon sun. This confuses tourists accustomed to the sun setting in the west.
Help is on the way. In May, the Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to approve a coherent interstate numbering system recommended by the Hampton Roads District Planning Commission. The northeast quarter of the beltway - from Hampton Coliseum southeast (clockwise) through Norfolk to Route 44 - would remain I-64. All the rest of the beltway would be I-664.
In addition, Route 44 would be renamed I-664.
Thus a tourist at the Oceanfront could follow I-664 West signs through Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Newport News to I-64 near Hampton Coliseum.
The transportation board needs to change the interstate numbers so at long last east is east and west is west and motorists can find their way around.
Any self-respecting metropolis should have a major-league team or two and a beltway.
Hampton Roads is still working to get its first major-league team, but recently it got its very own beltway.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board gave final approval to naming 55 miles of Interstates 64 and 664 the Hampton Roads Beltway.
Now local residents can mutter big-city complaints like, ``Traffic was hell on the beltway today.''
Technically the beltway should be named the Portsmouth Beltway, since that is the only city it encircles. Portsmouth wouldn't mind the publicity.
But Hampton Roads Beltway is the right name, because it calls attention to this entire region (never mind that most of the region lies outside its own beltway).
Needless to say, more needs to be done to keep tourists from getting lost. As things stand, motorists following the East I-64 signs toward Suffolk must squint into the afternoon sun. This confuses tourists accustomed to the sun setting in the west.
Help is on the way. In May, the Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to approve a coherent Interstate numbering system recommended by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. The northeast quarter of the beltway - from Hampton Coliseum southeast (clockwise) through Norfolk to Route 44 - would remain I-64. All the rest of the beltway would be I-664.
In addition, Route 44 would be renamed I-664.
Thus a tourist at the Oceanfront could follow I-664 West signs through Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Newport News to I-64 near Hampton Coliseum.
The transportation board needs to change the Interstate numbers so at long last east is east and west is west and motorists can find their way around. by CNB