BRISTOL, Va. – The latest round of state transportation funding cuts isn’t expected to affect Bristol or the region, officials said Friday.
Earlier this week, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved a $7.4 billion, six-year transportation budget that is $1.5 billion less than the previous version approved in February. The newest budget plan still includes drastic cuts to some services provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation, including closing rest areas, reducing mowing and roadside maintenance, closing some VDOT residency offices and reducing maintenance contracts.
But VDOT’s Bristol district actually received more funding for the upcoming fiscal year, VDOT spokeswoman Michelle Earl said.
“For fiscal year 2010, we went from $61.4 million in the February budget to $63.6 million in this new one. The majority of that money is in bridge funds, so we’re not seeing a lot of changes. Most of our cuts were made in February,” Earl said.
Earlier this year, VDOT announced plans to shutter two Interstate 81 rest areas and close three residency offices. Those plans remain in place, Earl said.
A northbound rest area near Exit 60 in Wythe County and a southbound rest area near Exit 54 in Smyth County are scheduled to close in July, Earl said. Residency offices in Jonesville, Abingdon and Tazewell are expected to close in the next 12 months.
State money for two new Bristol street improvement projects has already been approved and both could begin soon, City Manager Bill Dennison said Friday.
“The two projects we have are funded and money has already been approved for construction – so we won’t lose anything there,” Dennison said. “We do still have $3.1 million in federal aid money left in the [never started] King Mill Pike project that we need to decide what to do with it before we do lose it.”
City leaders plan to meet with VDOT officials Monday to discuss possible projects that would qualify for the federal transportation funding, Dennison said, adding that the money is restricted and insufficient to complete many projects.
The draft 2009-10 city budget already includes $3.3 million for a project near Sugar Hollow Park and almost $2.5 million to alter two intersections on and near Bonham Road.
To establish a business park adjacent to Sugar Hollow Park, the city plans to build a new access road – Resting Tree Drive – along the park’s western border, install a bridge across Beaver Creek, add a Lee Highway traffic signal and realign the intersection with Mount Vernon Drive.
The other project includes plans to add traffic signals at the intersections of Bonham Road and Linden Drive, along with Alexis Drive and Lee Highway, add turn lanes to Linden and Bonham and make other improvements.
“On Resting Tree, we’re having a pre-bid conference on June 25 and we open bids July 2,” Dennison said. “We’re still waiting for the state to release money for the Bonham project. There’s no problem, they just haven’t authorized any expenditures.”
The state budget also includes a 3 percent increase in highway maintenance funds, which is 1 percent less than the average annual increase, Dennison said.
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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