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Governor comes to Spotsylvania to mark expansion of congested roadway. Date published: 10/28/2009
By KELLY HANNON
Gov. Tim Kaine was pleased to attend today's groundbreaking in Spotsylvania to expand State Route 3 near Gordon Road. He just wishes it was under different circumstances. “I thought I’d be doing it because the state had decided to pony up and pay for transportation. That was not to be,” Kaine said. Instead, the federal government—compliments of taxpayers nationwide—is paying to widen Route 3 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus package passed in February. The widening from Rutherford Drive to Gordon Road was supposed to be paid using state transportation money. But the Commonwealth Transportation Board had to cut the project last winter, along with 800 other road projects statewide. Transportation revenues were expected to fall by $4 billion in coming years, since fewer people were buying vehicles and gas during a recession. Then, just as suddenly as it was cut, the work was revitalized two months later. To celebrate, Kaine and local officials turned dirt outside a 7-Eleven at Gordon Road yesterday, under a sign announcing the project was “Putting America to Work.” One lane of Route 3 East was closed for the ceremony, as was a section of northbound Gordon Road. Kaine estimated 700 jobs will be affected directly or indirectly by the widening, where work will be visible to drivers next spring, and will finish by summer 2012. “Even though we’re inconveniencing a few of these folks today by closing off the lane, they’re very happy we’re doing this today,” Kaine said. “By 2012 the road’s going to look an awful lot better.”
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