Virginia's secretary of transportation, VDOT commissioner, weighs in on Spotsylvania transportation bond referendum

Date published: 9/1/2006

By KELLY HANNON

The Virginia Department of Transportation's top official thinks the gap between cost estimates for a series of road improvements in Spotsylvania County can be narrowed.

VDOT has argued it will cost $113.3 million to improve several dozen secondary roads in Spotsylvania. ATCS, an engineering consulting firm in Dulles, hired by Spotsylvania, predicts it will cost $273 million.

The chasm led to a heated exchange between Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors members and VDOT officials at a June meeting. Supervisors relied on VDOT's preliminary cost estimates when they put a $144 million transportation bond referendum before voters in November, and were surprised by the ATCS numbers.

Yesterday, VDOT Acting Commissioner Gregory Whirley said both sides need to "roll up sleeves," sit down at a table and hash out the discrepancies and the rationales for the estimates.

"That's where we have to start, and the sooner we get to that, the better," Whirley said.

"I think we can make some improvements," he added.

Whirley's statements were made at a meeting yesterday at VDOT's Fredericksburg District offices on Deacon Road in Stafford. Spotsylvania County Administrator Randy Wheeler and county board Chairman Hap Connors attended, along with Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer and David Ogle, administrator of VDOT's Fredericksburg District office.

Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, and Mary Lee Carter, Fredericksburg District representative to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, were also present.

Wheeler stressed any action stemming from yesterday's conversation would be taken up by the full Board of Supervisors at a future date, if necessary.

Homer commended Spotsylvania for taking an innovative local approach to fix roads.

"You guys are way ahead of [other localities] in that respect," Homer said.

However, since it's a relatively new method of doing new road construction--devolution, he called it--it's important for localities and VDOT to stay in touch.

"We can solve problems if we have open communication," Homer said. "Let's just be very honest about them. There's no point in trying to hide them because then they don't get solved."

For Spotsylvania's part, Connors said language in the county's comprehensive plan, which guides what is required for road construction, may have contributed to ATCS producing a higher price estimate than VDOT.

The comprehensive plan calls for specific speeds and curbing that could have added to the price, Connors said.

Date published: 9/1/2006