Budget bind puts Beach road repairs in slow lane

The city's road projects have hit the fiscal equivalent of a traffic jam. Expect delays.

The city has too many maintenance and construction needs and not enough money, city staff told City Council members Tuesday at the first of five scheduled workshops for the proposed biennial budget.

Virginia Beach expects to receive $31.2 million from the state for road construction over the next five years. That's $42 million less than officials had anticipated getting from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

That, along with increasing costs of asphalt and fuel, has forced city officials to reconsider their timeline for new roads and the repaving of existing ones.

The city's public works staff has recommended taking money from six road projects to fund five others that are priorities for the council.

Among the projects that may be set back are:

- extension of Buckner Boulevard;

- addition of more turn options at some intersections;

- widening of Laskin Road near the Oceanfront;

- building a connection between Seaboard Road and Nimmo Parkway.

Even with the changes, Princess Anne and Kempsville Road intersection and Witchduck Road six-lane widening won't start until at least 2010, according to city documents.

Public works staff also suggested that the city repave roads every 23 years instead of 15. The proposed paving maintenance budget for next year is $8.2 million.

To maintain the 15-year cycle, the city would need $15 million.

Councilman Harry Diezel said he was concerned that the city is focusing on large road projects but is no longer doing smaller improvements that could help ease traffic into and out of subdivisions.

"There's not a whole lot of money left," John Fowler, a city engineer, said.

The city needs to reconsider approving housing developments if the roads can't support the additional traffic, Councilwoman Barbara Henley said.

Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com