Speaking of white elephants (see previous post about U.S. 460), the Virginia Department of Transportation has nixed the idea advanced by STAR Solutions to build an an eight-lane, border-to-border upgrade for Interstate 81 that included truck-only tolls and lanes. Instead, writes Ray Reed with the Roanoke Times:
Transportation planners said Virginia needs to move faster on I-81 by making safety improvements such as more truck-climbing lanes and longer ramps at a few interchanges.
Rail upgrades are part of the planners’ picture, too, with a study led by Norfolk Southern Corp. that could lead to government transportation dollars being used to upgrade tracks on NS’ north-south lines.
The quick fixes don’t change the need to add lanes to I-81, the transportation planners said. The highway is sure to be heavily congested by 2035, with double today’s cars and triple the number of trucks.
