Saturday, June 14, 2003

Damn the torpedoes, act now to get the $800 million

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is being urged to endorse a plan to build separate lanes for trucks and cars on Interstate 81, which runs 400 miles in Western Virginia from Bristol, Tennessee, to Martinsburg, West Virginia, in order to secure $800 million from the federal government, according to this report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte from Roanoke is quoted as saying that "Congress needs to hear from VDOT soon because Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, is willing to work to earmark money for the I-81 project, but only if it includes the separate lanes."

A spokesman for one of the companies with competing bids for the project was quoted as saying, ""The focus shouldn't be on getting money from Congress. The focus should be on doing the right thing to I-81."

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