BY KELLY HANNON
Unspent federal transportation money in other states means a few Fredericksburg-area road and rail projects will get a boost.
In Stafford County, a project to rebuild the Courthouse Road interchange on Interstate 95 will get $1.9 million.
Virginia Railway Express will receive $3.3 million for new locomotives.
And the Culpeper area will receive about $800,000 for bridge painting.
Virginia has been given an extra $28.2 million to spend on transportation by the federal government, through a budget process known as "bonus obligation."
Any state that does not spend all of its federal transportation dollars within the budget year--Virginia was not among them--has to give the money back. The federal government can then parcel out the leftover money to other states.
Most of Virginia's portion of the leftover money will replace or improve bridges outside the Fredericksburg area using $15.7 million. There is $4.2 million to pave and add guardrail to U.S. 220 in Botetourt County, and $3.3 million to fund Norfolk Light Rail.
Stafford Supervisor Cord Sterling, a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, was at a board meeting in Richmond when the bonus project list was unveiled. He said the $1.9 million will advance plans for the interchange, even though it is a fraction of the project's estimated cost. Rebuilding the interchange in central Stafford could cost $100 million or more.
"It's going to help toward pushing forward planning and design, so you can actually achieve knowing what the price will be," Sterling said.
Mark Roeber, VRE spokesman, said the commuter rail agency will apply the $3.3 million toward the purchase of one locomotive, which costs approximately $3.6 million. VRE hopes to make up the difference using matching funds, he said.
VRE has been steadily replacing its 20-locomotive fleet as funds become available. It now has 12 new locomotives on order.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
| Yesterday, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved Spotsylvania County's contractor choice to widen State Route 3 from Chewning Lane/Rutherford Drive to Gordon Road.
The vote was largely a formality. The state board had already agreed to apply stimulus funds to the project, and last month the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors voted 7-0 to issue a notice expressing its intent to hire Henderson Construction Co. to widen Route 3. Now that Spotsylvania has the state board's approval, supervisors can formally award the contract after it holds a public hearing on the project. The project, which extends about 1.5 miles, is expected to be finished in 2012. |