2006 Road bond projects on hold

Geoffrey Malloy sounded surprised when he heard plans to widen U.S. 1 in Woodbridge in front of his two car dealerships are on hold.

Since he purchased the Lincoln and Mercury dealerships at U.S. 1 and Reddy Drive 17 years ago, traffic congestion has been a problem that could keep potential customers away, he said.

“I think drivers avoid roads that are usually backed up … traffic has been bad out here for years,” said Malloy.

Prince William County officials Tuesday announced plans to halt the widening of U.S. 1 to a six-lane highway between Neabsco Mills and Featherstone roads as the county wrangles with record budget
shortfalls.

The highway expansion and 11 other projects were approved in 2006 after county residents voted to fund them with up to $300 million in road bonds.

Three of the outlined projects, including widening Va. 28 between Linton Hall Road and Va. 234, constructing Heathcote Boulevard, and widening Old Carolina Road, were completed.

Additional construction is under way on road bond projects, including widening U.S. 1 in Triangle, widening Va. 28 in Bristow and extending University Boulevard to Sudley Manor Drive. Those projects are
expected to be completed as scheduled, county officials said.

Additionally, Prince William Parkway will be widened between Old Bridge and Hoadly roads, paid for with $9.1 million in federal stimulus money.

But once those projects are finished, “significant construction on [county] roads will cease,” county documents stated.

Though voters approved officials to borrow up to $300 million for road construction, Carl Hampton with the Prince William County Official Financial Planning said it would have been a poor financial decision
for the county to borrow the entire amount at once.

“For example, if you are doing improvements to your home and you are authorized by your bank for a loan, you’re not going to withdraw $300 million if all you need is $500 for some two-by-fours,” said
Hampton.

To date, the county has borrowed 32 percent — $96.08 million — of the money voters in 2006 approved for road construction, said Hampton.

Included in that figure is $21.05 million Prince William borrowed from the Virginia Resources Authority, a state agency charged with helping localities fund cost-effective transportation solutions, among
other things.

The remainder of the funds was borrowed in the form of general obligation bonds, said Hampton.

Making tough choices
Prince William County’s road bond program was once hailed as a local jurisdiction’s solution to its own transportation woes.

In the current trying budget times, however, Prince William County Board Chair Corey A. Stewart, R-At large, said it just makes sense to halt transportation projects.

“There are a lot of localities facing problems across the nation, and when it comes to slowing the process of road projects — when we factor in other portions of the budget like schools, public safety, and
others — the road projects take a back seat,” said Stewart.

Prince William Supervisor John D. Jenkins, D-Neabsco, said the state needs to do more when it comes to bailing Prince William residents out of gridlock.

“It is the state’s responsibility to build roads, not ours, and the General Assembly needs to come up with a better plan to fund road construction,” said Jenkins.

In 1988, Prince William voters approved the first road bond and began constructing some of their own roads. That first bond funded construction of the first phase of Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge.

Since then, voters approved bonds to widen Spriggs, Minnieville, Linton Hall and Wellington roads, to extend Prince William Parkway to U.S. 1, and construct Sudley Manor Drive, among others.

Recent growth
U.S. 1 in Woodbridge experienced rapid growth during the past 10 years with the addition of several housing communities south of Cardinal Drive.

With an influx of people and cars on the road, keeping local transit buses running on time has become an increasingly difficult task.

“We are going to have to deal with even greater roadway congestion, which has a slowing effect on our operation as we try to move people from point A to point B,” said Alfred H. Harf, director of the
Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.

2006 Road bond projects on hold
-Widen U.S. 1, between Featherstone and Neabsco Mills roads

2009 Projected cost: $51.5 million

-Widen Rollins Ford Road, between Vint Hill Road and Songsparrow Drive

2006 Projected cost: $19.46 million

-Widen Minnieville Road, between Spriggs Road and Va. 234

2006 Projected cost: $22.3 million

Past road bond projects

1988
-Prince William County Parkway

-Route 234 Bypass

-I-66/Va. 234 interchange

1990
-Safety improvements to Davis Ford Road