Safer or sprawl?

A major upgrade to U.S. Route 460-an arrow-straight stretch running from Petersburg to Suffolk that offers an alternate to I-64 for access to the Hampton area-is encountering opposition from environmentalists who worry that it will encourage urban sprawl in an undeveloped area.

The Virginia Department of Transportation proposes to upgrade a 55-mile stretch of Rt. 460 to four lanes. Three contractors have submitted proposals ranging from 5 to 5 1/2 years to build. Total costs vary from $1.49 billion to $2.72 billion, and the project could require up to $782 million of public funds.

The Virginia Division of the Federal Highway Administration says the project should increase safety, improve hurricane evacuation, allow for greater freight traffic, and reduce congestion. A private contractor will partner with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to construct the road, using a minimum of public funds. The state plans to use toll funds to repay necessary loans.

"This roadway is essential to Hampton Roads," Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton said.

Opponents to the expansion claim that it fails to address the current issue of congestion at the James River and Hampton Roads water crossings. "We believe that it will create sprawl development along the new Route 460, leading to even more congestion; more problems such as air pollution; if it gets more congested, more problems with emergency evacuation; and it'll just create more gridlock than we already have," said J.R. Tolbert, Assistant Director of Legislation and Development for the Sierra Club's Virginia chapter.

The VDOT has determined that there are no endangered species, no unique geological features, and no legislatively protected waterways in the area. Additionally, the plan attempts to minimize environmental impact, including providing bridges at six water crossings. Studies have also shown many opportunities for reducing the impact of the roadway expansion, the VDOT said.

"Mitigation options include restoration and/or reforestation of habitat, riparian communities, and floodplain or the establishment of vegetated buffers along field edges," the record of decision says.

The Sierra Club claims that the road will be expensive and unnecessary, suggesting that tolls may be as much as $11. "With no VDOT oversight, there will be no accountability, no opportunity to reverse course, and, ultimately, an inferior road," a statement on the Sierra Club website said.

The contractors' proposals for the project show toll rates of $0.10-0.30 per mile, with regular increases in rates of about 2% per year. The VDOT will use open road tolling strategy utilizing EZ-Pass transponders, which the department claims will minimize congestion.

Although there is no formal monitoring entity proposed for the project, a press release by the VDOT states that permits must be obtained from various agencies that will provide accountability.

On Jan. 19, the state completed the 3rd stage of planning by approving three initial proposals to build the road. The state is awaiting detailed proposals from the contractors, and expects a comprehensive agreement to be signed in either late 2011 or early 2012.

The Sierra Club says the state should abandon the plan to widen Route 460 and redirect any state funding earmarked for the project to a third Hampton Roads water crossing with a freight and passenger rail line.

However, the VDOT is also considering a separate project that will use either tunnels or bridges to add up to four lanes to the I-64 / I-564 crossing in Hampton Roads. The project could cost up to $3.3 billion and does not include expansion for rail traffic.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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