A new exit ramp off Interstate 64 in Newport News and a Coliseum Drive extension in Hampton top the wish lists of the Peninsula’s two largest cities for state transportation dollars this cycle.
Peninsula-area localities requested a total of $419 million to help fund 29 transportation projects through the Smart Scale program, formerly called “House Bill 2,” this cycle, according to a raw list of applications provided by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization that has not yet been validated by the state.
Many of those will likely be denied.
Last year, the first for the program, the state funded about $58 million worth of requests submitted by Peninsula-area localities — less than 14 percent of this year’s total funding request.
The program, which provides a prioritization process to help statewide transportation projects decide where to spend limited dollars across the state, will not be offered next year. That raises the stakes for this year, though it is planned to be offered the following year.
On the top of its list, Newport News requested about $7 million to add a third ramp, ramp C, to the Jefferson Avenue exit (Exit 255) along I-64 westbound to reduce traffic on both Jefferson Avenue and I-64.
The new ramp would allow drivers going to the riverfront neighborhoods, as well as the Lowe’s Home Improvement shopping area, to avoid Jefferson completely, said Everett Skipper, the city’s director of engineering.
Traffic trying to get off the exit, especially during the afternoon rush hour, often backs up so far that they are stopped on the interstate.
“This segment of Jefferson Avenue is the most congested in the city with an (average annual daily traffic) of 76,000 vehicles per day,” a September letter from Skipper to the HRTPO said.
The project was discussed frequently at city meetings in the spring when developers were proposing a first-in-region Wegmans grocery store be built at the exit.
Developers pulled that application after it looked unlikely the City Council would approve the required rezoning, mainly because of traffic concerns, even though city staff recommended it. Developers said at the time they plan to resubmit the project.
The city did not request Smart Scale funding for the project last cycle, then this year submitted it as the top priority, but Wegmans was not a factor, Skipper said.
“It has nothing to do with the Wegmans,” Skipper said . “It has to do with a traffic improvement we’ve been after for some time.”
The city first wrote VDOT about the project in 2012, Skipper said. VDOT agreed it was valuable, then began an 18-month study with the Federal Highway Administration in winter 2015, which is ongoing, Skipper said.
Last year, when applications were due for the inaugural Smart Scale program, the city did not submit the project because staff had not yet heard whether VDOT agreed it was valuable, Skipper said.
The second Newport News request is $2.4 million for improvements to the oddly shaped intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Yorktown Road.
VDOT anticipates more traffic at that intersection after the widening of that stretch of I-64, Skipper’s letter to HRTPO said.
The city’s third priority request is $8.4 million for Campbell Road reconstruction — none of the top three were included in last cycle’s batch of requests.
At the bottom of Newport News’ list, again, was a pricey $74.5 million request to widen Harpersville Road from J. Clyde Morris Boulevard to the city line, picking up where Hampton will leave off.
The city requested eight projects in all, totaling about $177 million, while Hampton requested only two, totaling about $18.4 million.
Hampton’s two requests are $17.7 million for the extension of Coliseum Drive to Butler Farm Road, marked a high priority, and $749,000 for Power Plant Parkway sidewalks.
Regional requests focus on Southside
Hampton Roads Transit submitted one application this year — $13 million for 26 feeder buses to connect to the new light rail stations in Virginia Beach.
Patricia Woodbury, a member of the HRT Board, said she was disappointed HRT did not submit a project that would benefit the Peninsula, such as increasing the frequency of bus stops here.
“I’m biased, but I would have preferred (the request) to be something on this side,” said Woodbury, also a Newport News city councilwoman. “Sometimes we really get the short end of the stick.”
A request for increased bus stop frequency requires the approval of the city for the increase in operational costs in advance of making the application, said Ray Amoruso, HRT’s chief planning and development officer.
HRT requested the buses because the present-day fleet size cannot accommodate the proposed light rail extension to Virginia Beach Town Center, Amoruso said.
If the Virginia Beach City Council decides against the light rail extension, HRT will withdraw its application, Amoruso said.
HRTPO also submitted two Southside projects — $100 million for the I-64 widening and high-rise bridge project in Chesapeake and $50 million for the I-64/264 interchange project in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Last cycle, the Commonwealth Transportation Board granted HRTPO’s request for $114.9 million to help fund the third segment of the I-64 widening on the Peninsula and HRT’s request for $3.5 million for improvements for park and ride facilities in Newport News and Hampton.
The CTB can also submit two project applications for funding. Regional transportation leaders hope extending the I-64 widening to Richmond is one of them. The CTB’s final decisions will be announced in June.
A public open house meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at 723 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake.
Clift can be reached by phone at 757-247-7870.
