By Carla Branch and James Cullum
alexandrianews.org
Lack of funding and local government concerns have led to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s decision to put proposed I-395 HOT lanes on hold.
VDOT notified Northern Virginia officials in a letter dated Aug. 17, 2009. “Our original schedule called for the project to reach commercial close this month,” Malcolm T. Kerley, the project’s chief engineer wrote. “However, due to local government and community concerns, as well as challenging credit market conditions, we will not reach commercial close this month. It is our intention to continue the project development efforts along the following lines:
“(1) The project team will continue to work collaboratively with Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County staff to address the local traffic impact issues between Eads Street and Duke Street. There is very significant work underway to address the traffic impacts of BRAC and other new development at Seminary Road and to minimize or eliminate local traffic impacts at the Shirlington rotary. Better understanding of the local impacts and operational issues at Eads Street will require more time and analysis. And, enhanced bus service to the regional core can improve traffic circulation at the Pentagon and potentially reduce Metrorail crowding. Development of capacity and access improvements at Shirlington or Seminary Road will not proceed until this consultative process is completed. A re-evaluation or supplement to the approved environmental document may be needed as a result of these efforts.
“(2) The project team will continue to work collaboratively with Stafford, Prince William, and Fairfax Counties and appropriate transit staff, to develop the HOT lanes project from Garrisonville Road to just inside the Beltway. This includes the identification of significant additional commuter parking spaces in the corridor and associated transit investments. It is possible that developments of these improvements and investments may proceed more quickly than those improvements and investments north of the Beltway.”
While Alexandria officials had not joined with Arlington in a lawsuit to stop the HOT lanes at Shirlington Circle, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille wrote a letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer expressing the City’s strong opposition. “An exit off the HOT lanes at Shirlington would significantly impact the ParkFairfax and Fairlington neighborhoods and we have consistently expressed our opposition,” Euille said in an earlier interview. “In March, the City Council expressed our willingness to work with VDOT and we are still willing to do that. We need transportation solutions that will decrease gridlock on I-395, but not at the expense of Alexandria neighborhoods.”
As currently designed, the HOT lanes project will expand the existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on I-95/395 from two to three lanes and extend two new lanes south to Massaponax. Buses and carpools with three or more people can continue to use the lanes for free, while non-HOV motorists can choose to pay a toll. Toll prices will change throughout the day according to real-time traffic conditions to manage the number of cars in the HOT lanes and keep them congestion free. There will be 33 new entry and exit points to key activity and employment centers, such as Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon and Shirlington. It is estimated that there will be $390 million in improvements to public transportation in the corridor, including new buses and bus routes.
The current cost estimate for the HOT Lanes is $1.9 billion. Virginia is contributing $409 million; $349 million is being provided by private equity funded by concessionaire Fluor-Transurban, which is also providing $1.2 billion in funding from loans and bonds. Fluor-Transurban will have an 80-year contract to operate the HOT lanes (5 years construction / 75 years operation).