by James A. Bacon
The McDonnell administration is putting the Route 460 project on fast forward. The state has dedicated up to $500 million to support a public-private partnership to rebuild the four-lane road to interstate quality between Suffolk and Petersburg, a job that could run between $1.44 billion to $1.8 billion, reports the Virginian-Pilot.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Transportation has issued a request for detailed proposals from Cintra Infraestructuras S.A.U., 460 Partners, Inc. and Multimodal Solutions LLC, the two firms that have presented conceptual proposals. The project entails the design and construction of 55 miles of new tolled roadway south of the existing Route 460 with seven interchanges to project access to communities along the corridor. (Click on map for more legible image.)
The project will be financed through a combination of public subsidy, private investment and user fees.
“This project is a top priority of the Commonwealth and will provide substantial benefits related to emergency evacuations and enhance the movement of freight to and from the ports,” said VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley in making the announcement. “Additionally, the new Route 460 will provide greater connectivity between the Richmond/Petersburg and Hampton Roads regions increasing economic development opportunities and job creation.”
I don’t want to pre-judge the value of this project. My only comment at this point is that this massive public investment requires much closer public scrutiny than it has received so far.
