Virginia

The City of Chesapeake is launching another toll-financed highway upgrade - construction of a 4-lane high level bridge in place of a 2-lane low level lift-span for the US17/Dominion Boulevard at the Southern Branch of the estuarial Elizabeth River in Chesapeake VA. This is on the southwest fringe of the greater Norfolk/Hampton Roads metro area.

Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says he's urging state legislators not to appropriate another $150m for Phase 2 of the Dulles Rail project sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

Virginia governor Bob McDonnell this week announced big progress on two major toll concessions: $1.7 billion of investment by Macquarie and Skanska to enhance three key tunnels under the estuarial Elizabeth River in Norfolk under a 58 year toll concession, and $843m in a 73 year toll concession deal with Transurban and Fluor to develop 29 miles,46km of toll express/bus lanes on I-95 in northern Virginia. 

One of the anchor projects of the Celebrate Virginia development alongside the proposed Rappahannock Parkway tollroad - the National Slavery Museum - has filed for bankruptcy, and a letter has emerged indicating high level local opposition to the project. A National Slavery Museum on a prime 38 acres led by former Virginia Governor and mayor of the capital Richmond Douglas Wilder was announced amid fanfare ten years ago.

A local critic tells us the Rappahannock Parkway is a "scam" for the benefit of the area's largest developers, the Silver Companies. He says the traffic out to the southwest of Fredericksburg doesn't warrant such an expensive project, and that without the political patronage purchased by the Silver Companies the project would never be advancing as it is.

The George Washington Toll Road Authority (GWTRA) is making progress in developing the Rappahannock Parkway, its first toll project in Fredericksburg VA, on the southwest fringe of the Washington DC metro area.

FHWA administrator Victor Mendez has granted Virginia conditional approval to develop a detailed proposal for tolling VA/I-95 to support reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Virginia and federal officials are discussing a US Government permit for tolls along the length of I-95 from the Potomac River in Alexandria south to the North Carolina border. A preliminary application was submitted by Virginia in January for tolls on VA/I-95 under the Interstate Reconstruction and Rehabilitation pilot program.

Under heavy criticism from all quarters for a $325m rail station undergrounding cost to be put on Dulles Toll Road motorists, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is now being challenged in the courts over the legality of its use of tolls for the $6+ billion rail line.  Prominent Virginia attorneys Patrick McSweeney, Robert Cynkar, Christopher Kachouroff have sued MWAA on behalf of John Corr of Great Falls NA and John Grigsby, of Hillsboro

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) management of the Dulles Toll Road is coming into serious question following a board decision last Wednesday to pay a $325m premium to underground a rail station rather than build it elevated. Nearly 60% or $3.7b of the cost of the $6 billion+ rail project is supposed to be supported with toll revenue bonds on the Dulles Toll Road.