By KELLY HANNON
When development officials travel to Stafford to discuss potential projects in the Courthouse Road area, they notice the state of Exit 140 on Interstate 95.
"One question is, 'What's going on with that interchange?' And when we can't answer that, everything stops," said Stafford County Administrator Anthony Romanello.
Stafford supervisors met yesterday to seek legislative support for a new I-95 interchange at Courthouse Road. Specifically, supervisors had hoped to have a tentative design of the project by the end of the year, as originally promised by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
VDOT has ceased design work on the project until new budget estimates are available for state transportation projects. A new interchange could cost as much as $166 million, depending on the complexity of the design.
Projects that are fully funded through construction, such as the widening of Bragg Road in Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg, are still moving forward.
Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Westmoreland, told supervisors he would do whatever he could to help.
At the same time, Virginia Senate staff has estimated the state could have a $3.5 billion budget shortfall during the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session, Stuart said. "We're struggling to find ways for people to keep their jobs," he said.
Earlier this fall, the Commonwealth Transportation Board was told cuts of $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion were possible for road projects from 2009 to 2014. The state is collecting less money from gasoline and vehicle sales than it anticipated.
The board acknowledges times are economically challenging, but a lack of design is disrupting long-term redevelopment goals around the Courthouse, said supervisor Paul Milde.
Milde has suggested a compromise, where using several million dollars in state funding would let design work move forward, even if construction cannot.
"We don't know where the interchange is going to go," Milde said.
Stafford supervisor Cord Sterling, a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, described stopped work on the project's design as a "pause." The state is reviewing projects based on the expected amount of money, he said.
"We've only got so many resources," Sterling said.
Medicorp Health System officials were invited to the meeting, held last night in Stafford County's administrative offices. Traffic traveling to Medicorp's Stafford Hospital Center along U.S. 1 will use the interchange.
Fred M. Rankin III, Medicorp president and chief executive officer, asked how he could help.
Sterling suggested he could write a letter of support to Virginia Secretary
"Health care is no good if you can't get to it," said Walt Kiwall, MediCorp Health System executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com