HD60 - Review of the Highway Location Process in Virginia


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 222 (1996) directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to review the highway location process used by the Virginia Department of Transportation to select corridors for new road locations in Virginia. The highway location process is used to select one alternative location for a highway among several, based on engineering and human resource impacts. The process is complex and is sometimes controversial, because of the multiple and often conflicting interests involved.

The study found that the highway location process appears to work relatively well in Virginia. Based on a detailed review of 20 highway location projects, it appears all entities with significant interests in a highway's location are provided the opportunity to participate in and impact the process. Further, the process generally leads to reasonable decisions about highway locations.

However, the review found that the process used for improvements to Route 29 in the Charlottesville area raises some concerns about the location process in that case. The Commonwealth Transportation Board's reversal of a prior location decision, participation by a Board member with a personal interest in the highway location, and the lack of coordination between projects all raise concerns about the process in that case.

The study also found that aspects of the process related to the Board's role and to public participation need to be modified. In addition, the Board and the Department of Transportation appear to have inappropriately used a planning process to determine the location for a proposed new road. Finally, the review found problems that need to be addressed concerning the workload and qualifications of Department staff. The report contains recommendations to modify the process and address these problems.