VDOT's Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Meeting

by Russell Manning
(including photo credit)

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim addresses the group.

Dennis W. Heuer (VDOT Hampton Roads District Administrator), Pierce R. Homer (Virginia Secretary of Transportation), and Randy Boice (Project Manager) addressed a group of citizens and elected officials at Granby High School in Norfolk, VA tonight. The first of two meetings was held last week at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA.

Mr. Boice gave very detailed, informative explanations of each alternative including the strengths and weaknesses of each as follows:

Alternative 1: at $2.2 Billion was the least costly, but would not meet Federal Highway requirements prohibiting two-way traffic within the same undivided tunnel.

Alternative 2: meets Federal Highway requirements for minimal extra cost (adds $100 Million) by making the middle tube reversible during rush hour, however the traffic pattern on I-64 does not allow for reversible lanes. There is equal traffic in each direction, making it difficult to reverse the lanes.

Alternatives #3 and #4 are the two most practical and the most costly at $3.3 Billion each.

Alternative 3: constructs a four-lane tunnel to accommodate all east-bound traffic and converts both existing tubes to carry only west-bound traffic.

Alternative 4: constructs a four-lane tunnel and reserve a lane in each direction to be used for a dedicated right-of-way transit service, either a bus way or, more preferably (in Secretary Homer’s opinion), an extension for the Light rail line.

Alternative 5: constructs a two-lane suspension bridge, a mile in length and high enough for cargo ships and aircraft carriers to pass underneath. It would require reversible lanes, which not only fails the Federal Highway regulations but, due to the lower speed needed for the two-lane tube, the time benefit is shown not be worth the money spent. It also has “adverse … aerodynamics,” similar to the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed in Washington State four months after it opened in 1940. Proper reinforcement would bring this bridge to the same cost as a four-lane bridge. (see #6)

Alternative 6: constructs a four-lane suspension bridge, which saves $100 million over the four-lane tunnel option. However, it was noted that the Navy would never approve it. Constructing a bridge over the only exit for the majority of the Atlantic Fleet would be a terrorist attack waiting to happen, also adding fuel to Florida’s case to move aircraft carriers away from Hampton Roads.


Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff and Councilman Dr. Richard W. West attended.

Comments following the VDOT presentation included:

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, who objected to any and all plans to widen HRBT, stating that the region has already determined that the Third Crossing was the best option, better during an evacuation, a plus for military mobility, and it would draw traffic away from the HRBT, lessening traffic jams. Any HRBT widening project in the current footprint would disrupt the Willoughby area.

Senator John Miller and Delegate Paula Miller were present to support the project, stating that we need to plan for the future and not just alleviate current problems. Delegate Miller inquired if the HRBT project or the Third Crossing would be eligible to receive funding under the proposed stimulus programs from President-elect Barack Obama. Mr. Homer replied that neither project would be eligible as they are not ready for immediate construction.

Bobby Mathieson of Virginia Beach stressed that the community needs to continue to talk about solutions. Virginia Beach’s Vice Mayor Louis Jones stated that he did not support any project that was not previously supported by the MPO.

Norfolk councilman Randy Wright took a minute to publicly thank Mr. Homer for supporting the Norfolk Light Rail project.

Hampton councilwoman Angela Leary stressed that as a supporter of personal property rights, she would like to discuss further alternatives with Norfolk and the Peninsula.

Mr. Homer strongly supports a multi-modal tube in any expansion to make it more attractive to the Region.



Russell is a Political Science major at ODU and Hampton Roads Magazine Top Ten Blogger, and we thank him for his continued reporting.
http://757HamptonRoads.blogspot.com

New Transportation Cuts Will Hurt

Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer told the Commonwealth Transportation Board on October 15th that state and federal transportation revenues will decrease $2.1- $2.6B leading to more cuts in the road and bridge construction plan over the next 6 years.

• Cuts will create delays or deletions of at least $1.1B worth of projects from the state's 6-year, $7.9B road construction plan.
  
  
• VDOT is forced to put priorities on maintenance, safety and emergency response.
  
  
• Transportation-related services will be cut and/or reduced: rest stops, mowing, repaving, line painting, highway signs, snow and ice removal, roadway lighting.
  
  
• VDOT will eliminate 900 FT jobs, offer early retirement, leave employee vacancies unfilled, consolidate offices, and close repair shops.

Homer says the shortfall is due to an uncertain national economy and tax decreases associated with lower gas and vehicle sales.

Cuts being made now will be permanent. The chief source of highway program revenues is gas and vehicle taxes. With more fuel efficient cars and less people driving due to the economy and high gas prices, officials do NOT expect gas or vehicle sales to rebound when the economy rebounds.

"We've gotten very good at reducing costs, cutting projects, slimming down programs; but we have not confronted a change this systemic, this long-lasting," Homer said.

"In the future, VDOT will be a smaller agency," he said. "We cannot afford to administer and deliver our services, programs and projects the same way we have in the past."

The 6-year federal highway and transit funding authorization ends with this fiscal year. What will happen as Congress reels from the effects of its $700B bailout of the financial services industry?

In just a few weeks, it’s become painfully evident: the economy has changed, the world has changed. We can’t afford to conduct “business as usual”.