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| The Fairfield rest area is located at mile marker 199 on Interstate 81 South. (MICHAEL MORELLA/The Rockbridge Report) |
While the Virginia Department of Transportation might be closing more than half of its rest areas across the state, not everyone in Rockbridge County sees that as a loss.
VDOT has proposed closing 25 of the state’s 41 rest areas, many of which are along Interstate 81, to make up for a $2 billion shortfall in the department’s budget. Included in VDOT’s proposed closings is one near Fairfield, the only rest area the department operates in Rockbridge County.
“This is not one
to fall on our sword on,” Lexington City Council member Bob Lera said. Lera, who serves on the Regional Tourism Board, sees the potential closures as a chance to increase visitors to local businesses.
But at a public hearing in Verona on Mar. 12 officials and residents from at least 10 counties lashed out at VDOT’s proposal. One of their biggest concerns was that closing rest areas would reduce drivers’ opportunities to take breaks during travel.
While she doesn’t dismiss the potential safety issues, Jean Clark, director of tourism for the Rockbridge Regional Tourism Office, noted in an interview that there are exits about every five miles along I-81. That leaves plenty of opportunities for drivers to stop along the interstate, even without rest areas.
She said that could be a good thing for tourism.
“Instead of folks stopping at the rest areas…it may actually lead people to get off the exit,” Clark said. “And they may, by chance, run into something they hadn’t expected to see.”
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| White's Truck Stop in Raphine is one privately-owned stop along I-81 that might see an increase in visitors if VDOT's rest areas are closed. (MICHAEL MORELLA/The Rockbridge Report) |
Closing the rest areas might also mean extra customers for businesses along the I-81 corridor. White’s Truck Stop in Raphine, just a few miles north of Fairfield, is a stop that might experience an increase in business. White’s General Manager Teresa Fisk said she isn’t worried that White’s will have more business than it can handle.
But she said that other stops along the interstate might not have enough resources to accommodate the increase in customers. Fisk said that could also be problematic for drivers.
“I just think it’s going to be an inconvenience for both the truckers and especially the [motorists],” she said.
In addition to the proposed rest-area closures, VDOT has been forced to eliminate about one-third of highway construction projects that were scheduled to begin between 2009 and 2014. The department has also proposed reducing road maintenance, snow removal and mowing. In addition, VDOT says it expects to cut 75 employees. Changes could take effect as early as June.
But the replacement of Lexington’s overpass on Nelson Street remains on VDOT’s list of planned projects.
Many who spoke at the Verona hearing voiced concerns that the proposed reductions in highway funding would be a safety issue, not just an inconvenience.
Several emergency services officials mentioned rural roads that are already in poor condition and could be drastically affected by hazardous weather.
“I’m concerned that the rural areas may somehow become second-class citizens when it comes to the safety of our roads,” said John Staelin, chair of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors.
Others were worried about the effect on agriculture and poultry transportation, vital components of many of the region’s economies.
“I would call this ‘blueprint for the future’ a blueprint for disaster,” said Del. Todd Gilbert, who represents the counties of Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and part of Rockingham. Gilbert’s words were echoed by administrators and supervisors from counties throughout the lower part of the Valley of Virginia. No officials from the Rockbridge area spoke during the hearing.
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The hearing in Verona was the third of 11 public sessions scheduled across the state, and the closest to the Rockbridge area. More than 150 people attended the Verona hearing. Previous hearings in Salem and Lynchburg drew similar crowds.
Some who spoke provided not just complaints, but also alternatives to VDOT’s proposed plans. Many suggested conducting an external audit of VDOT, something the department has shied away from in the past.
And although Rockbridge area officials don’t seem to feel threatened by VDOT’s proposals, they also don’t see them as the final step.
“Boy, there’s another argument for [a] rail [line] along 81-- get those trucks off 81,” Lera said.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd