RD444 - Interim Report: Listing of 1-81 Corridor Projects Addressing Safety and Congestion - December 4, 2014


Executive Summary:
Pursuant to Item 427 L 1 and 2 (Item 427 L) of the 2014 Appropriation Act, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) is required to direct the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Bristol, Salem and Staunton districts to identify projects along the I-81 corridor of Virginia that address safety and congestion concerns as part of the statewide prioritization process pursuant to § 33.1-23.5:5 (*1) (See Appendix A) Item 427 L further requires the CTB to solicit input from local elected officials, state legislators, and other affected stakeholders in the identification of potential candidate projects for evaluation. Further, the CTB is to give priority to projects that minimize the impacts on adjacent communities, including historic battlefields, and to projects that can be implemented within the existing right-of-way or with minimal additional right-of-way.

An interim report, including a list of the identified projects and estimated costs is to be completed by November 1, 2014 and this document serves to satisfy the interim reporting requirement. Additionally, by January 1, 2016, a final listing of projects developed pursuant to the provisions of House Bill 2, 2014 Session of the General Assembly, (HB2) must list the prioritized candidate projects identified for potential inclusion in the Six Year Improvement Program to be adopted by the CTB in June 2016.

In order to meet the due date of November 1, 2014 for this interim report and the requisite project list, a list of projects along the I-81 corridor which address safety and congestion was derived from the current Fiscal Year 2015-2020 (FY15-20) Six Year Improvement Program (SYIP), approved by the CTB in June 2014. These projects have been subjected to the public comment process and their associated costs have been included in the listing provided in this report. The final report that is due January 1, 2016 will include a prioritized list of projects developed pursuant to the provisions of HB2 along with planning level cost estimates. Therefore, the project list included in this interim report may change as the final report is developed.
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(*1) Section 33.1-23.5:5 was enacted into law pursuant to HB 2 of the 2014 General Assembly. As a result of legislation recodifying, among others, Title 33.1, § 33.1-23.5:5 was recodified as § 33.2-214, effective October 1, 2014.