Loudoun County (and Area) Transportation Projects to Benefit from New Transportation Money

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday released the names of 16 road and transit projects, including four in Northern Virginia, that would benefit from some $3.1 billion generated by his controversial transportation funding plan.

The Washington Business Journal reports that the list includes the Phase II extension of Metrorail to Dulles and Loudoun County, a new Interstate 66/Route 28 interchange in Fairfax County, the Route 606-Dulles loop in Loudoun and the Interstate 95 interchange relocation in Stafford.

McDonnell’s funding plan centers on his proposal to eliminate the gas tax in favor of a sales tax hike, to shift general fund dollars to transportation (an unpopular idea among Democrats) and to wait on Congress to pass an Internet sales tax bill.

McDonnell's comprehensive, long term transportation funding proposal, "Virginia's Road to the Future," would provide the Virginia Department of Transportation with approximately $1.28 billion in new state funding that could be used for 158 highway projects providing a significant investment in improving interstate pavement, secondary system bridges, mass-transit, unpaved roads and other high priority projects. The proposal will also provide $1.07 billion in new funds for rail and transit projects. In addition, the plan would prevent approximately $500 million of projects in the existing six year improvement program from being delayed due to a downturn in revenue projections.

Among the projects on the governor's list are:

• Dulles Metrorail Extension Project
• Extension of passenger rail to Roanoke
• Increased train service to and from Norfolk
• I-66/Route 28 interchange in Fairfax County
• I-95 interchange relocation in Stafford County
• I-95/I-64 overlap improvements in Richmond
• I-64 capacity improvements between Newport News and Williamsburg
• Route 606, Dulles Loop in Loudoun County
• Route 29/666 Interchange in Culpeper County
• Route 340 bridge replacement in Warren County
• I-81 bridge replacement over the New River in Montgomery County
• I-81/I-77 overlap capacity improvements
• Numerous bridge replacements statewide
• Major interstate reconstructive paving projects statewide
• Track improvements Newport News to Richmond/Richmond to Washington, DC
• Unpaved road projects, statewide

Funding for these projects are in addition to the funding in the Commonwealth Transportation Board's current Six-Year Improvement Program.

Read the governor's press release for more details.

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