‘It is a giant step.’ Virginia budget deal would boost funds to widen I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond

The budget deal before legislators includes far more than either House of Delegates or state Senate budget writers proposed earlier this year to widen Interstate 64 between Richmond and Williamsburg.

The budget deal finalized last week sets $310 million — and hints at even more down the road — for a project that should speed traffic through the Peninsula and cut the driving time from Norfolk to the state capital.

The idea is to draw down federal and regional authorities’ money for what’s expected to be a $750 million project to add a third lane in each direction between Bottoms Bridge, at mile marker 205, and the northern interchange with Route 199, at mile marker 234.

“This gets us started; it is a giant step,” said state Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg.

“It’s what we’ve talked about all the time, keeping the momentum on this project ... We want to get this done now, rather than wait for about 10 years — you know what happens to the cost of things if you wait,” he said.

Formally, the deal sets $210 million for the project for fiscal year 2022, which ends June 30, and another $110 million to be spent in fiscal year 2024.

If revenues hold up, the idea is that the state would eventually kick in another $150 million, which is the likely maximum of any federal infrastructure dollars for the project, Mason said.

Also possibly in the mix are funds from the new Central Virginia Transportation Authority, which uses regional sales, gasoline and diesel tax surcharges to accelerate projects around the Richmond area. The authority has a request from New Kent to commit $397 million to widen I-64 in that county — that is, from mile 205 to mile 223.

The original fiscal 2022 spending plan, proposed by outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam and accepted by the state Senate, said the work on I-64 between Bottoms Bridge and 199 for that year would be financed by any funds left over from the Hampton Roads high occupancy toll lane project.

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That hasn’t worked out.

Basically, a surplus hoped for from the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission’s funds, which come from this region’s gas tax surcharge didn’t materialize because of rising interest rates. That surcharge has financed a major part of the expansion of the HRBT as well as the HOT lanes on I-64.

The governor’s budget for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 did not set any specific amount for I-64 widening.

The House budget writers amended these budget proposals to set $30 million for the work in fiscal 2022 and $20 million over the next two years.

The state Senate, however, proposed spending $190 million in the budget for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 for I-64 widening between Route 199 and the New Kent County line — that is, to mile marker 223, not quite as far as Bottoms Bridge.

Mason said VDOT has told him the higher funding means it could get out a request for proposals for design and construction of the widening out sometime this year. That would put the work for the whole 29 miles between Bottoms Bridge and Route 199 on a fast track, he said.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com