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Following last month’s TPO Policy Board meeting, six HB2 candidate projects were prioritized, which staff subsequently prepared and submitted by the September 30 deadline. Those six projects and their priorities are as follows:

COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
I-81 NORTHBOUND AUXILIARY LANE FROM EXIT 141 TO 143 Preliminary Engineering (PE) $3,048,451.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $540,722.00
Construction (CN) $26,241,543.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $0.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $29,830,716.00
HB2 Requested Funds $29,830,716.00

Project Description

  1. Construction of a 12-foot auxiliary lane and new 12-foot outside shoulder along northbound I-81 between Exits 141 and 143.
  2. The lane will be an extension of the entrance ramp at Exit 141 to extend to the exit to Exit 143.
  3. Construction includes retaining and sound walls, and stormwater management facilities in various locations along the corridor.
  4. Project will provide additional capacity between NB Exits 141 & 143 and provide for safer merge movements between exits.
COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
I-81 WIDENING FROM EXIT 140 TO 143 Preliminary Engineering (PE) $7,524,092.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $700,000.00
Construction (CN) $64,768,551.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $0.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $72,992,643.00
HB2 Requested Funds $72,992,643.00

Project Description

  1. Addition of one lane NB and one lane SB on Interstate I-81 between Exits 140 & 143.
  2. Lanes will be 12′ wide with 10′ paved shoulders.
COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
U.S. 220 COMMUNICATIONS AND ADAPTIVE SYSTEM PROJECT Preliminary Engineering (PE) $42,000.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $0.00
Construction (CN) $380,500.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $0.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $422,500.00
HB2 Requested Funds $422,500.00

Project Description

  1. U.S. 220 in the City of Roanoke at the intersection of U.S. 220 and Valley Ave./Southern Hills Dr. SW (Lowe’s) and terminates in Roanoke Co. at U.S. 220 and Clearbrook Village Ln. (Walmart). There are five signalized intersections within the study area.
  2. All intersections will be synchorinzed to allow better morning and afternoon peak traffic flows. New cameras will be installed at all five intersections allowing VDOT to remotely access the traffic volumes and view live traffic to monitor coordination on the corridor.
COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
INTERCHANGE LIGHTING AT I-81 EXITS 137-150 Preliminary Engineering (PE) $841,000.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $0.00
Construction (CN) $7,569,000.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $0.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $8,410,000.00
HB2 Requested Funds $8,410,000.00

Project Description

  1. This project seeks to light interchanges along I-81 beginning at Exit 137 and continuing with exits 140, 141, 143, 146, and 150. The project area is roughly 13 miles along I-81, and passes through Roanoke County, the City of Salem and Botetourt County.
COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
ROANOKE RIVER GREENWAY–GREEN HILL PARK TO RIVERSIDE PARK Preliminary Engineering (PE) $785,000.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $370,000.00
Construction (CN) $6,877,031.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $3,489,926.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $8,032,031.00
HB2 Requested Funds $4,542,105.00

Project Description

  1. Construction of 1.875 miles of Roanoke River Greenway in Roanoke Co. and the City of Salem, from Green Hill Park upstream of Diuguids Lane to Riverside Park, downstream of Mill Lane.
  2. This section will include two 12′ bridges across the Roanoke River, a separated grade crossing at Diuguids Lane and an at-grade crossing at Mill Lane, where topography prevents a separated crossing.
COST ESTIMATES / FUNDING SOURCES TOTAL
I-81 AUXILIARY LANES EXIT 150 TO WEIGH STATION & RAMP EXTENSION Preliminary Engineering (PE) $5,489,735.00
Right-of-Way Acquisition (RW) $1,832,530.00
Construction (CN) $40,422,324.00
Six-Year Improvement Plan Allocations $0.00
Other Committed Funding Amount $0.00
Total Proposed Project Funding $47,744,589.00
HB2 Requested Funds $47,744,589.00

Project Description

  1. Construct 12′ auxilary lanes NB and SB from Exit 150 to the truck weigh station, including bridge replacements over Tinker Creek.
  2. Construct an extended deceleration lane northbound into the weigh station; and construct an extended acceleration lane southbound out of the station.
  3. Establish a three-lane road, both NB and SB between Exit 150 and the weigh station, extending ramps south of the station.
  4. Provide additional capacity between Exit 150 and the station.

In the days since the application deadline, applications have undergone validation at the VDOT District, VDOT Central Office and screening through the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI).  OIPI verifies that each candidate project meets at least one of four needs in VTrans2040, the Virginia Multimodal Transportation Plan.  Currently, all projects submitted by the RVTPO, for the exception of the I-81 Interchange Lighting project, have been forwarded to and successfully screened in by OIPI.  Once that verification process is complete, the candidate project is forwarded to a scoring panel of statewide transportation and public policy officials.  The scoring process will be ongoing this fall and into the beginning of 2016.  It is anticipated that the project award announcements will be made in January 2016.

Future posts will discuss the type and nature of HB2 projects submitted statewide and provide insights and impressions of this inaugural prioritization process.

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