Road upgrades would float Navy’s boat, admiral says

With more than 81,000 active-duty Navy sailors in Hampton Roads who rely on the transportation network to get to work, the commander of the Navy’s mid-Atlantic region told regional leaders Thursday that improvements must be made to reduce congestion and increase mobility.

“In order to do what we need to do in this area, we need to have a reliable, efficient transportation system,” Rear Adm. T.G. Alexander told the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. “We want to grow our presence here if the opportunity presents itself; we don’t want to go anywhere else.” Alexander said reliable transportation is “a mission-readiness issue for us.”

He said the Navy fully supports expanding the Midtown Tunnel, upgrading Dominion Boulevard in Chesapeake, expanding the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, building another harbor crossing known as the Patriots Crossing, widening Interstate 64 from the Peninsula to Richmond, expanding light rail to Norfolk Naval Station and to Virginia Beach, and establishing a regional fast ferry service.

“Today is when we begin preparing for the future,” he said.

Alexander said improving transportation isn’t just the responsibility of local leaders, but also Navy personnel. He said a culture change from the car to transit is necessary.

“A lot of sailors like to drive their own cars and are willing to sit in traffic to do that, which boggles my mind,” he said. “We need to adopt some new behaviors.”

Recognizing the enormity of the needs and the scarcity of dollars, the TPO on Thursday recommended three projects to the state that should be considered for future public-private partnerships: The proposed Patriots Crossing, an expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, and improvements to I-264 in Virginia Beach since the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt is unlikely to ever get approved.

While it has long been assumed that the tunnel projects would require a private partner and tolls, it’s the first time I-264 has been considered for such an approach. The improvements could include rebuilt interchanges and added capacity, which, because of surrounding development, may not mean widening but possibly double decking.

Dwight Farmer, the TPO’s executive director, said 250,000 to 300,000 vehicles use some portions of that stretch of highway daily. Traditionally, these projects require tolls to cover the debt and pay the private developers. Already in Hampton Roads, the planned Midtown Tunnel expansion is a public-private venture with tolls, and the rebuilding of U.S. 460 is working through the public-private process now.

The TPO staff also will consider adding to the list an expansion of light rail into Virginia Beach and a dedicated truck route in Suffolk through the CenterPoint warehouse/distribution center from Kenyon to Holland roads.

Philip Shucet, Hampton Roads Transit president and CEO, noted that, in the end, the private sector ultimately will determine which projects are viable as public-private ventures.

In other business, the TPO:

- Amended its Transportation Improvement Program to include work associated with the Midtown Tunnel expansion project. Portsmouth City Councilman Stephen Heretick cast the only dissenting vote, saying the tolls on the crossings will substantially disadvantage his city.

- Approved its 2034 Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint for transportation development for the next 20 years. It includes 90 projects that range from planning to construction, at an estimated cost of $7 billion. It includes widening I-64 on the Peninsula and rebuilding U.S. 460. It also includes studies for the Patriots Crossing bridge and tunnel project across the harbor, expansions to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and light rail, and the introduction of higher-speed passenger rail.

Debbie Messina, 757-446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com