Interchange project at U.S. 29/Route 666 delayed

A planned interchange at the U.S. 29 and Route 666 intersection will be delayed, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

The interchange project is among dozens forced to the back burner as VDOT deals with a $1.1 billion budget shortfall.

“If additional revenue sources are identified, then we can certainly identify the projects that have been delayed and additional money could be programmed into those projects,” VDOT Culpeper District spokesman Lou Hatter said. “But we have to look at the program with the money we have now.”

In a statement Friday, Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce R. Homer echoed Hatter’s concerns about funding.

“We continue our focus on safety and projects that we can advance through the pipeline to make the most of the funds we have available,” Homer said. “But the six-year program to be voted on later this month includes significant reductions to state-funded construction projects.

“We must present a realistic, fiscally responsible transportation program to address the needs of the commonwealth. As our revenues have fallen by $1.1 billion, we have to make difficult decisions about what projects we can afford.”

Hatter said the estimated cost of the interchange project is about $35.7 million.

“It would be a complete, grade-separated interchange, so you would eliminate the traffic signals at that intersection,” Hatter said. But “what exactly that interchange would look like — we hadn’t gotten that far in the design.”

In the meantime, Hatter said, improvements to accommodate increased traffic from Easter View High School are under way and that preliminary engineering on the interchange project would continue.

The state is required by law to adopt a six-year improvement program by July 1 each year. The program is based upon the most recent official transportation revenue estimates issued by the Department of Taxation.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board will vote on Virginia’s 2009-14 Transportation Improvement Program June 19 in Richmond.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .