ANOTHER DC OUTER BELTWAY STUDY

The Virginia Department of Transportation made a quiet announcement right before Thanksgiving last week.  It plans to begin a new study of traffic utilizing existing Potomac River bridges, between Point of Rocks and the Harry Nice Bridge (Morgantown).

The study will get underway in the coming weeks, and is expected to conclude in Spring 2013.

When completed, VDOT expects to have a new data set from which to extrapolate future demand for new crossings.

They are asking Maryland and DC to cooperate in the study.

Of course, this is a complete waste of money. We know the demand for additional Potomac River crossings exists.  It was amply demonstrated in the American Legion Bridge study I presented to you here in exhaustive detail months ago.

VDOT boss Sean Connaughton and Governor Bob McDonnell support a new crossing, and have taken substantive steps toward that goal. Maryland is in the grip of an anti-highway legislative majority in Annapolis and Rockville.  But economic and congestion reality make their begrudging cooperation inevitable.  Lack of direct access to Dulles Airport, and timewasting commutes, cost Montgomery County jobs every day the status quo persists.

Foolish decisions in the past canceled many bridges, including the Rockville Freeway-Fairfax County Parkway bridge at Riverbend Park, the I-266 bridge into Georgetown, the Arizona Avenue bridge, and two Outer Beltway bridges.

Have an arterial blockage like that in a human, and you would require immediate surgery. But in this case, politicians are willing to let you and Montgomery County's economy suffer.

Stop the studies. That money could be better spent on the hungry and homeless.

Start building the highways! We know they're needed. Instead of having a theatrical BRT/gas tax summit in Annapolis, we should have a real crossjurisdictional summit on solutions that actually work: highways and bridges.

Gov. McDonnell is a key player in forcing that, but Sen. Mark Warner is the real heavy-hitter needed to get fellow Democrats on board.

Warner should extend a high-profile invitation to Gov. Martin O'Malley, and transportation officials, to join Virginia in such a series of meetings.  The senator has already announced his support for a new crossing.  Warner is not one who can be ignored, as he is highly respected nationally, and just happens to have deep pockets and 2016 aspirations.  Getting the Outer Beltway done would improve Warner's and O'Malley's presidential resumés.  It's hard to argue against jobs and the tax revenue they generate.

The sun rises every day. 2+2=4. And yes, Virginia, we need an Outer Beltway.

No study necessary.

LATEST VA FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUND GIFT TORCHES MoCo POLS' CLAIMS OF "NO FEDERAL MONEY" FOR ROADS

Even as Bethesda and other parts of Montgomery County endure crippling traffic jams, Montgomery County politicians keep assuring us that there is no federal money available to build badly-needed roads and bridges.

What they don't tell you is, they haven't even applied for any!

In order to be eligible for federal funds, a transportation project must first be placed into a master plan.  But our politicians have done just the opposite, deleting master plan highways like the Rockville Freeway and Outer Beltway from the books in methodical fashion.

If you wondered why our stimulus money ended up going to paving and sidewalks - while Virginia was getting money to finish its Rockville Freeway counterpart, the Fairfax County Parkway (the 2 roads were meant to connect, via a new Potomac River bridge by Riverbend Park) - it was because we didn't have any shovel-ready road projects in the pipeline.  Result:  we lost out on tens of millions of dollars.

What happens to federal money states and counties can't spend, because their leaders subscribe to anti-car ideology?  It gets taken back by Uncle Sam, and distributed to states with common sense.

Like Virginia.

I believe they got $67+ million for the Fairfax County Parkway.  But they're not done yet!

The Federal Highway Administration has just awarded an additional $52 million to Virginia, funds that - you guessed it - were passed up by states that are ideologically-opposed to building roads.  Even if the Feds are picking up a large portion of the tab.

$52 million!

Why is Virginia getting $52M extra?

As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, Uncle Sam is giving a treasure chest of $1.4 billion "to states, like Virginia, that have eligible projects ready to go."

Why didn't we have the Rockville Freeway, Outer Beltway and Potomac River bridge "ready to go?"

Why didn't the state have the extension of I-70 to I-170 in west Baltimore "ready to go," to handle the explosion of truck traffic westbound from the port [and earn truck toll revenue - duh!], when the new Panama Canal opens in 2014?

Ask your elected officials.

OUTER BELTWAY,

NEW POTOMAC CROSSING

OFFICIALLY ON THE

TABLE

Governors McDonnell, O'Malley Begin

Discussion on Top Regional

Transportation Priority

Isn't it great to be ahead of the curve? In addition to advocating for the construction of the DC Outer Beltway on this blog, I've also been keeping you up to date on the small moving parts behind the scenes on the issue. Like the "Outer Beltway bills" in Richmond, the redesignation of corridors, Sen. Mark Warner getting on board, etc.

So now that it is being discussed at the highest level, regular readers have known this was coming long ago.

Yes, the Outer Beltway is finally going to happen after 60 years of delay.

What does the Outer Beltway mean for Bethesda? It means great news: finally, the gridlock between Tysons Corner, the I-270 spur and Gaithersburg will be relieved. If the Rockville Freeway is also built, the spur backups would be entirely eliminated. With eventual completion of the I-270 widening, the Watkins Mill interchange, and the M-83 Highway, I-270 would essentially be jam-free.

If I-95 were one day completed through DC - as it was planned to - and the North Central Freeway and Northern Parkway were built, so too would the Beltway gridlock be a memory of the past.

But in a day of tight budgets, the Potomac Crossing is the first step.

Where will the Outer Beltway go?

There are only two reasonable route options, and only two matching connections on the Virginia side.

On our side, we have the ICC/I-370 (the final Outer Beltway alignment chosen by planners in the 1970s), and the Rockville Freeway right-of-way (Rockville Facility).

The ICC is the likely choice, as it now reaches the Sam Eig interchange of 270, as well as I-95 at its eastern end. And it's already built.

The Rockville Freeway/Facility provides access to both interstates, as well. Currently known as Matthew Henson State Park, this highway facility reaches the ICC near Indian Spring Country Club. Hence I-95 traffic could take the ICC, and exit onto the future Rockville Freeway.

The Rockville Freeway would then connect to the existing Montrose Parkway (a silly road squatting on a portion of the Rockville Freeway right-of-way). Originally, the freeway was to occupy the full west portion of Montrose Road over 270. That right of way remains all the way to Falls Road. In fact, I have seen the real estate records for the purchases of land around the future freeway's intersections with Seven Locks Road and Falls Road. (Cloverleaf interchanges would have been built at both).

Two advantages the Rockville Freeway alignment would have over the ICC are shorter distance to Virginia (hence, far cheaper), and a clearer path to the Potomac River west of 270 (cheaper yet! Those eminent domain seizures and lawsuits are expensive).

Originally, the Rockville Freeway was planned as the Outer Beltway, and was to cross the Potomac near Virginia's Riverbend Park.

That brings us to the waiting connections across the river.

The two options are VA Rt. 28, and VA Rt. 286 (formerly SR 7100) a.k.a. Fairfax County Parkway.

In a world of sensible people, both get connected to Maryland. But it's complicated.

The Rockville Freeway was designed to line up with the Fairfax County Parkway to create the western half of the Outer Beltway. Once the ICC alignment was chosen for the Outer Beltway, planners dropped the Rockville Freeway crossing.

At that point, planners on both sides began to consider the Rt. 28/Dulles Airport corridor for the Virginia portion of the Outer Beltway.

If the ICC is selected as the Potomac Crossing route, you can be pretty sure it will connect with Rt. 28 (a.k.a. Sully Road for its northern section).

Wait a minute, you might ask, why would they take the longer route?

Good question!

To answer it, pretend you are a leprechaun. I'm serious.

Now open Google Maps, and search for "Dulles Town Center" (Sterling, VA).

Ok, just to the left of that is Sully Road. Now, Lucky the Leprechaun, scroll south on Sully Road, and start counting the cloverleafs. Each one of those is a grade-separated interchange (like the Beltway, the Outer Beltway will have exits, not traffic signaled intersections).

Wow, this is your lucky day! There are a ton of them!

Now look at Fairfax County Parkway. Uh-oh. Lots of work to be done.

One of the many stealth actions smarter planners on the Virginia side have taken is to prepare Rt. 28 for interstate highway designation.

They've also taken smaller steps towards that on the Fairfax County Parkway, but as you can tell from the map, it's nowhere near ready. 28 needs work too, once you get into Centreville. But there's plenty of room there to expand.

So if you're gambling, put your money on the ICC-370-Potomac River Bridge-VA Rt. 28 alignment.

There's plenty of time and room to bring Fairfax County Parkway up to interstate standards, and one day connect it to the future Rockville Freeway via another Potomac River bridge, as originally planned.

How will the Outer Beltway be completed?

It's interesting. Remember I told you a few weeks back my prediction that the ICC will be extended to Bowie? That gets you to MD Rt. 301.

Now, take VA Rt. 28 to its end. Then take Route 17. You've got an interchange with I-95 there as you head east. You've made a critical connection with Fredericksburg. Now keep following 17 east, and then Rt. 218 east. Eventually, you connect to...

Rt. 301! You've made a complete circle. An Outer Beltway.

But there are many alternative routes to accomplish that.

Right now, expect the governors to concentrate on the bridge crossing, and handling interstate volumes between western Montgomery County and the Dulles area.

And, alas, rumor has it that there will be tolls!

DESPITE DEATH OF

HOUSE BILLS,

OUTER BELTWAY

TAKES SEVERAL STEPS

FORWARD

Last week, I reported on the death of two bills in the Virginia House which would have required studies related to a future DC Outer Beltway.

Yet, as has been the style of Gov. Bob McDonnell and the Commonwealth Transportation Board, several even more dramatic steps toward the highway were quietly taken this week.

First, the Prince William Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway (which, like the Rockville Freeway on the Maryland side, was actually part of the original Outer Beltway), and Franconia-Springfield Parkway (Fairfax County) were all designated as "primary roads."

What does that mean? It means they are now eligible for Federal funding for maintenance and upgrades. And for Federal help if they decide to make them part of a future Outer Beltway.

Second, on Wednesday, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board approved the Battlefield Bypass through Manassas.

The Battlefield Bypass is another road which could become part of the Outer Beltway.

Predictably, Stewart Schwartz of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, is not pleased. But it's time that we stop allowing obstructionist groups to control the agenda, and build the long missing roads from our region's freeway system.