DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230507

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   55 lines

CHESAPEAKE RESIDENTS CAN SPEAK OUT TONIGHT ON EXPRESSWAY ROUTE

The city will have a vital public meeting tonight on the proposed Chesapeake Expressway.

The meeting is one of the most important for the city's No. 1 road project and the second public meeting to be held on the road.

The City Council approved last-minute changes to the road's design in September, changes that necessitated tonight's meeting.

The meeting's focus will be on changes to the road's alignment south of the Northwest River to the North Carolina state line. City officials are encouraging all residents near the new proposed alignment to attend. All have been notified by mail, city officials said.

Residents who live around other areas of the proposed expressway need not attend the meeting because nothing in their areas will be affected, city officials said.

Comments from the meeting will be transcribed and reviewed by city officials before a final decision is made. Mary Ann Saunders, assistant to the city manager, said the staff plans to bring the final alignment to City Council for approval at their Nov. 25 meeting. The Council does not meet Nov. 11.

``Any one of these (routes) could be modified,'' said city engineer D. Ray Stout. ``It's more than just a vote count.''

There is some nervous anticipation among city officials about the meeting. If even one resident in the affected area doesn't like the proposal, the road could face some multimillion-dollar delays.

The fiscal future of the road project, therefore, depends on the likes and dislikes of these residents, who city officials say number about 50. The previous design showed this section of the road running away from homes and small businesses that are located near Va. Route 168, also known as Battlefield Boulevard. The changes, made at the behest of Vice Mayor John W. Butt, would move the road closer to these homes and businesses.

The previous alignment would destroy one home. The new proposed alignment would destroy or affect seven homes and businesses, based on aerial maps of the routes. The proposed new route also would affect less wetland.

City officials admit there could be a delay in the design of the road as a result of the changes. But they are confident there will be no delay in the road's construction, which is still on schedule despite not having a final agreement with the consortium of private builders.

Construction on the road, which will use tolls to pay off its debt, is scheduled to begin next spring. MEMO: The Citizen Information Meeting is scheduled from 4 to 7

tonight at Hickory Elementary School. Input from the public is essential

in evaluating the road's new alignment. The only area under

consideration is the South Alignment, which runs south of the Northwest

River to the state line. For more information, call city engineer D. Ray

Stout at 382-6413. KEYWORDS: ROAD CONSTRUCTION

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