The Benchmark road fix between Mine road and Route 17 is underway. It is expected to be completed by June 5th; but the contract includes an incentive if completed by May 25th.
Click here to read Scott Shenk’s Free Lance-Star article for more details.
The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce met recently with Senator Kaine and Congressmen Brat and Wittman to discuss solutions to transportation issues in the Fredericksburg region. Congressman Wittman supported additional I-95 lanes between the Rappahannock River and Exit 126. According to the officials, a consensus on how to pay for infrastructure projects, to include transportation fixes still alludes Congress.
- Click here to read Scott Shenk’s Free Lance-Star article for more details.
- Click here to watch Congressman Wittman’s live stream of this engagement from Facebook.
Click here to read a recent Free Lance-Star Editorial on the potential for more tolls and congestion pricing along the I-95 corridor.
General Assembly Approves Setting Regional Fuel Tax Floor
While the General Assembly passed this bill, Governor Northam has yet to sign it into law. This change would fix the 2013 Virginia Transportation legislation that enacted a floor tax for the state fuel tax, but not the regional fuel tax. Since gas prices have generally trended downward since 2013 it has led to declining revenue for localities like Spotsylvania that are members of Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) and Virginia Rail Express. It is estimated an additional 18 million annually could be generated with this fix that would be shared among the PRTC members.
Click here to read Scott Shenk's Free Lance-Star article for more details.
This declining revenue has finally caught up to Spotsylvania in recent years as money from the General Fund has been needed to be transferred to the Transportation Fund to pay for local road improvements. It is uncertain how the new tax floor coul affect the figures in the graph below.
At the last Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) Policy Committee meeting, local elected officials were provided information on roads projects that could be pursued during the upcoming road of SMART SCALE – a state program that awards money for selected road projects. Your Spotsylvania representatives on this regional committee are Supervisors Marshall, McLaughlin, and Ross.
Click here to review the current list of projects under review.