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Local group is updated on status of High Occupancy Toll lanes Date published: 1/29/2008
By KELLY HANNON North Stafford remains on track to get a single toll lane on Interstate 95 from Dumfries to Garrisonville by the end of 2010, according to a project timeline. Fluor Virginia Inc. and Transurban (USA) Development want to build toll lanes along a 56-mile section of I-95 from the Pentagon to the Massaponax area. If the project wins final approval from Virginia, the two-lane HOV corridor from the Pentagon to Dumfries will be expanded to three lanes by 2010. Two new lanes will be constructed from Dumfries to the Massaponax area by the end of 2014. The project has a northern section and southern section. The dividing line was originally where the lanes currently end, at Dumfries, but Stafford asked, and received, a nine-mile single lane extension to North Stafford in the northern half. The single lane should help with afternoon traffic congestion at Dumfries. Also, sections of HOT lanes could open in the Fredericksburg area before 2014, as they are finished, said Tim Young, Transurban project manager. Young gave a presentation last night to the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, a regional group of mostly elected officials that oversees transportation planning. Fluor-Transurban has not signed a final agreement with the state yet. That agreement will govern the construction and management of HOT lanes. Virginia signed an interim agreement with Fluor-Transurban to govern the study portion of the project, which is ongoing. Virginia split the cost of this work with the companies, spending roughly $26.8 million in public dollars. Stafford Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer asked Young for specifics on the extension's design. Dudenhefer said it was important for the lane to end south of the State Route 610 exit, to avoid a traffic bottleneck north of the interchange. Also, Dudenhefer said a flyover was needed to carry exiting toll lane traffic directly to Route 610. Young said Fluor-Transurban will be ready to talk about project specifics, such as design elements, in three to four weeks. "We're not going anywhere until we've sat down with the locales and VDOT," Young said. The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission is concerned about the width of the toll lanes in the northern section. PRTC operates buses that travel I-95.
Date published: 1/29/2008
The HOV lanes did NOT serve as advertised and the HOT lanes will NOT either. Somewhere along the line VDOT fell in love with this idea and climbed in bed with Fluor/Transurban. I guess VDOT and our elected politicians think this idea will make their problems with transportation go away. Thanks to our elected representatives in Richmond, our transportation system in Virginia is hopelessly BROKEN.
The HOT lanes will fail and VDOT will be forced to buy them at inflated prices in the furture thus taking away what little funds are available for RT3, 610, 17, Courthouse, MT View etc. BAD DECISION, BAD POLICY
VDOT loves to make presentations to points south talking about how great HOT will be. The problem is that the entire project profitability and viability depends upon what happens from Dumfries north, and especially on 395. My view is that it will be crammed with SOVs. And the narrow lanes will be a nightmare with buses. 14th St Bridge - nightmare. Everyone step back and realized that this is Pie in the Sky. An no coming back once signed.
It's unreal how much power the Commonwealth Transportation Board has (with very little oversight), and how much the construction of these lanes will affect our region. Imagine the psychological effect it will have for that beautiful treed median to be demolished, and to have lighted HOT lanes all the way down. Visitors arriving to Fredericksburg will not see any difference between this area and Springfield. Sure, we may now be a part of NOVA, but at least the median gave us a semblance of separation.
Most commuters would question the feasability of any system that would add 20 dollars or more to their daily commute. Our tax dollars paid for the existing HOV lanes. Turning those roadways that we paid for over to a private for profit enterprise is just wrong...
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