Rep. Don Young, R-AK, had Virginia’s I-81 in mind when part of his overall $375 billion highway bill included $1.5 billion in federal funding for dedicated truck lanes.
Rep. Young, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has expressed interest in making the highway a national pilot project. His bill says dedicated truck lanes are needed to improve the "safe and efficient movement of freight by separating truck traffic from traffic in regular lanes."
"Separate lanes for trucks will move freight more efficiently and make our highways significantly safer," Young said. "I've been watching Virginia's progress on I-81, and it's the best opportunity in the nation for us to separate car and truck traffic." Young spoke to The Associated Press.
The interstate, which runs from Tennessee through Virginia to Canada, is one of the busiest truck routes nationwide.
STAR (Safer Transport and Roadways) Solutions, one of two private firms competing for the right to partner with the Virginia Department of Transportation to improve I-81, had proposed widening the highway to at least eight lanes. Trucks would be confined to the two inside lanes in each direction.
The work could be completed by 2018 at a cost of around $8 billion, adjusted for inflation, according to the proposal.
The project would be financed with a combination of federal and state funds. To the ire of truckers, financing may also employ truck tolls ranging between 12 cents and 37 cents a mile over the life of the work. STAR spokeswoman Mary Beth Jarvis said last week the bill includes more than enough federal money to meet STAR's needs, The AP reported.
STAR's competitor in the bidding process, Fluor Virginia Inc., considered dedicated truck lanes for I-81. But the company ultimately determined two mixed-use lanes, coupled with an additional cars-only lane in each direction, is the best approach for improving traffic flow. Fluor’s proposal includes tolls for both trucks and cars.
Both teams' proposals are on hold while officials conduct an environmental review.
