The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public briefing Friday at 10 a.m. to discuss the events of July 2 that led to an eight-hour closure of the westbound lanes at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and gridlock throughout South Hampton Roads.
The briefing will be held at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, 723 Woodlake Drive in Chesapeake.
Remarks will be made by VDOT officials and the Virginia State Police. Participants include Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce R. Homer, VDOT Commissioner David Ekern, and Dennis Heuer, VDOT Hampton Roads district administrator.
The westbound lanes were closed about 6:30 a.m. last Thursday once tunnel staff discovered that a broken water pump and water main had flooded the pump house and four to six inches of water seeped onto the travel lanes.
On the day before a holiday weekend, the closure sent drivers scrambling for alternate routes, gridlocking many South Hampton Roads highways. The worst delays were at the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, where back-ups stretched more than 20 miles into Chesapeake.
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Place blame where it belongs
Make sure they mention the norfolk mayor and council for passing a resolution again any expansion of the HRBT.
If fraim would get out of the ports pockets, and support the expansion of the HRBT, traffic congestion would reduce. Instead he wants a private driveway for his buddies.
Anyone who speaks will place blame on each other.
Anyone who speaks will place blame on each other. The ultimate blame is on Gov. Timmy Kaine. He made campaign promises he did not keep. Kaine and Wider are the two worst ever to be elected to the Gov. Office. Kaine should do Va. A favor and resign.
Everythings in place
VDOT has everything they need to know when those pumps fail - BUT they do have to pay attention and do something. Just like the Tidal Gate failure - all those workers went home - that's why the gate wasn't opened. These pumps have alarms - but you do have to check them and pay attention. Who cares?
VDOT is trying to get a river of cars down a stream.
Need to improve 460 for a Virginia East/West route between 58 & I64
460 to Wakefield turn West crossing I-95 @ to Farmville - Roanoke
Traffic could enter Hampton Roads without using a Tunnel.
We decided not to do that
We decided not to do that with the referendum vote a few years ago. Ain't going to happen now. Norfolk and Virginia Beach are islands.
Oh well
I would like to attend but I need to make up the work I missed because I could not get to my office last Thursday. Oh well.
Good thing they are not
Good thing they are not holding it in Hampton. No one could get there on a Friday.
credibility?
Will they be under oath?
(Meet& Greet for posters this Thursday 5:30PM to 7 PM, New Belmont, Ghent)
falling down laughing here
Under oath? If that was required, there would be no meeting!
Money or Mismanagement
I will bet that VDOT and other government officials will cite the lack of money as the reason that there are no funds to repair roads and provide better maintenance. What they won't state is that they have mismanaged the money given to them initially. There's enough money to get the job done, but the politics get in the way.
Spin doctors are in!
Let the damage control begin. I suspect this meeting will go as well and be as productive as the HRBT pump maintenance.