Opinion: Let’s make I-95 in Virginia look like the New Jersey Turnpike

This letter to the editor was sent to us by Mark Scheufler, a Prince William County resident. All of the letters we’ve posted by him all have to do with improving mobility around our region. This latest letter comes as the Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting on improving Interstate 95 statewide, at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg from 6 to 8 p.m.

Getting between Richmond and Washington, D.C.c can be difficult with very unpredictable travel times, especially on weekends in the summer. The Commonwealth of Virginia is building a significant number of projects along I-95 in the Fredericksburg area that will improve traffic flow over the Rappahannock River.

This coupled with the new Harry Nice Bridge [over the Potomac River, linking Virginia and Maryland] coming online in 2023 will lead to longer travel times between Fredericksburg and Richmond

Virginia is expected to add 1.5 million people between now and 2040 with the vast majority of that growth along the corridor between Washington DC, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. Improvements to I-95 between US1 (Exit 126) and I-295 (Exit 84) will be needed.

VDOT should consider adding the project below to the list of recommendations for the I-95 Corridor Improvement Plan.

Expand I-95 from six to 12 lanes between U.S. 1 (Exit 126) and I-295 (Exit 84) using a dual-dual configuration similar to the New Jersey Turnpike layout between Philadelphia and New York City.

· Each direction will consist of three barrier separated car only express lanes with limited access points between Fredericksburg and Richmond/I-295 and three local lanes for cars and trucks with access to all existing interchange points.

· All lanes would be assessed a $2 toll to enter this 40-mile stretch of highway each day via E-ZPass or pay by plate.

· No toll booths would be used.

· Additional tolls would not be charged for multiple entries per day.

· Tolls would be the same for cars and trucks.

· Tolls to supplement future improvements (capital and operating) along the CSX rail line between DC and Richmond that was outlined as part of the recent DC2RVA study

In 2013, The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that requires legislative approval of tolls on I-95 South of Fredericksburg and in 2016 the FHWA revoked an exemption to toll the existing lanes of I-95 along this stretch of highway. These two policy decisions would need to be enacted for this $4 billion project to move forward.

Starting with a daily traffic count of 120,000 unique vehicles and a $2 toll, the 40-year toll collection period would generate $6.6 billion based on a 1% traffic increase and 2% toll increase per year.

Doing nothing to improve conditions along this corridor will reduce Virginia’s economic competitiveness along the I-95 corridor between Maine and Florida.