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| Nonprofit founded in 1988 |
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NAFTA
Superhighway? by Mark Petersen Once again, the U.S. Government is planning to build a new Interstate "NAFTA" Superhighway through scenic and environmentally significant rural land. This time, the target is Southwestern Virginia. The weapon of choice is known as I-73. As described in the National Highway System, the highway is a high priority corridor beginning north of Detroit, Michigan and extend all the way to Charleston, South Carolina. In Virginia, the Commonwealth Transportation Board selected a seven-mile wide corridor for I-73, which roughly follows Route 460 from West Virginia to North Carolina. Much as with West Virginia's Corridor H, local residents have mounted a campaign to oppose the highway's construction. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is currently preparing a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will consider options for building the part of I-73 that runs parallel to the existing Route 220 from Roanoke to Martinsville, VA. Alternatives under consideration in the draft EIS include: (1) taking no action (no build); (2) transportation system management (improving the existing roadway network); (3) widening the existing U.S. 220 highway to a four-lane, limited access highway; and (4) construction of a new four-lane, limited access highway on a new location. As might be expected, the road construction and local business groups are lobbying for option 4. While this would serve their interests, nearly everyone else has something to lose in the process of building a new I-73. Most of the businesses along Route 220 between Roanoke and Martinsville depend on the high traffic levels on Route 220 for their livelihood. A new I-73 corridor will reroute that traffic, effectively starving out 220 businesses. An example of such a thing is found on Route 11-once a commercial artery and now a historic relic-thanks to Interstate 81. The process of building a new Interstate running parallel to Route 220 would be extremely destructive to animal and plant habitat in the affected areas. 220 runs through a section of Virginia that is full of wildlife, native animals and plants that play an enormous role in maintaining our area's high quality of life. Building a new interstate parallel to 220 will also open up new land to developers. These new developments will attract businesses and middle class taxpayers because the land will be cheap and the taxes lower. All of this movement away from our inner cities, including Roanoke, will create a drain of public and private capital and jobs. The I-73 corridor is a region dotted with prime farm land. New highways spawn cloverleaf development, thus resulting in loss of productive cropland. Increased use of railroads, along with improvements to the existing corridor, would make 220 a safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable transportation corridor. The I-73 corridor has a functioning railroad line running through it. We urge the increased use of intermodal containers and truck trailer on the railroad as a way to move freight along the I-73 corridor. For more information, contact Virginia Action for Sustainable Transportation at (540) 983-0928 |
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