| RELEASE: CONTACT: |
IMMEDIATE Tamara Neale 804-786-6458 Tamara.Neale@VDOT.Virginia.gov |
CO-0615 March 16, 2006 |
AGING I-81 WELCOME CENTER AND REST AREA NEAR WINCHESTER TO BE REBUILT
$20 million in rest area improvements across the state is planned
RICHMOND, March 16, 2006 – The Commonwealth Transportation Board today awarded a $5.9 million contract to design and rebuild the welcome center and rest area on I-81 near Winchester. The contract was awarded to a team led by Ricketts Construction Company, Inc. of Winchester. They will team with The Marshall Group of Reston, ADTEK Engineers of Fairfax and John J. Christie & Assoc. of Silver Spring, MD.
The new building will be approximately 15,000 square feet and will house rest room facilities and a welcome center to meet anticipated 20 year traffic demands. The existing facility, built in 1970, is much smaller - 2,085 square feet - and is in great need for replacement to meet the growing traveler needs. The project’s completion deadline is May 10, 2007.
The contract was made possible through $20 million in funding improvements provided in the Appropriations Act adopted last spring. Of that amount, $17 million will rebuild three facilities, with efforts ongoing to award contracts for the facilities on I-95 southbound near Fredericksburg and on I-64 westbound in New Kent. VDOT solicited proposals to rebuild the two facilities, but the proposals did not meet the agency’s requirements for cost or timeliness. The agency is aggressively re-advertising the building of these facilities to achieve better prices.
The remaining $3 million is leveraged for site improvements at 12 locations across the state. These improvements include interior renovations and bringing the facilities into compliance with current standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Design work for these sites has been completed and work is expected to begin over the next 90 days.
“VDOT is looking forward to the completion of the reconstruction projects by using contract methods that will complete the projects quicker and more efficiently,” said Acting VDOT Commissioner Gregory A. Whirley. “In addition to increasing quality of services, improvements to Virginia’s rest areas promote safer driving conditions.”
National studies have shown that fatigued drivers who enter rest areas represent 4.5 percent of the entire traffic stream. It is estimated that approximately 70,000 vehicles per day visit Virginia’s rest areas. Reduced driver fatigue due to rest areas is estimated to decrease highway accident rates by 3.7 percent.
The 41 facilities statewide have an average age of over 31 years. Only three sites are less than 20 years old.
Reconstruction Sites
I-81 SB Winchester
I-95 SB Fredericksburg
I-64 WB New Kent
Renovation Sites
I-81 SB Troutville, Botetourt County
I-64 EB Jerry’s Run, Alleghany County
I-66 EB Manassas
I-66 WB Manassas
I-81 NB Bristol
I-81 SB Fairfield, Rockbridge County
I-81 NB New Market, Rockingham County
I-81 SB New Market, Rockingham County
I-81 SB Atkins, Smyth County
I-64 EB Albemarle
I-64 WB Albemarle
I-81 NB Rural Retreat, Wythe County
For more information on Virginia’s rest areas and welcome centers go to www.VirginiaDOT.org. The direct link is http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/map-rest-area.asp.
The new building will be approximately 15,000 square feet and will house rest room facilities and a welcome center to meet anticipated 20 year traffic demands. The existing facility, built in 1970, is much smaller - 2,085 square feet - and is in great need for replacement to meet the growing traveler needs. The project’s completion deadline is May 10, 2007.
The contract was made possible through $20 million in funding improvements provided in the Appropriations Act adopted last spring. Of that amount, $17 million will rebuild three facilities, with efforts ongoing to award contracts for the facilities on I-95 southbound near Fredericksburg and on I-64 westbound in New Kent. VDOT solicited proposals to rebuild the two facilities, but the proposals did not meet the agency’s requirements for cost or timeliness. The agency is aggressively re-advertising the building of these facilities to achieve better prices.
The remaining $3 million is leveraged for site improvements at 12 locations across the state. These improvements include interior renovations and bringing the facilities into compliance with current standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Design work for these sites has been completed and work is expected to begin over the next 90 days.
“VDOT is looking forward to the completion of the reconstruction projects by using contract methods that will complete the projects quicker and more efficiently,” said Acting VDOT Commissioner Gregory A. Whirley. “In addition to increasing quality of services, improvements to Virginia’s rest areas promote safer driving conditions.”
National studies have shown that fatigued drivers who enter rest areas represent 4.5 percent of the entire traffic stream. It is estimated that approximately 70,000 vehicles per day visit Virginia’s rest areas. Reduced driver fatigue due to rest areas is estimated to decrease highway accident rates by 3.7 percent.
The 41 facilities statewide have an average age of over 31 years. Only three sites are less than 20 years old.
Reconstruction Sites
I-81 SB Winchester
I-95 SB Fredericksburg
I-64 WB New Kent
Renovation Sites
I-81 SB Troutville, Botetourt County
I-64 EB Jerry’s Run, Alleghany County
I-66 EB Manassas
I-66 WB Manassas
I-81 NB Bristol
I-81 SB Fairfield, Rockbridge County
I-81 NB New Market, Rockingham County
I-81 SB New Market, Rockingham County
I-81 SB Atkins, Smyth County
I-64 EB Albemarle
I-64 WB Albemarle
I-81 NB Rural Retreat, Wythe County
For more information on Virginia’s rest areas and welcome centers go to www.VirginiaDOT.org. The direct link is http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/map-rest-area.asp.
Page last modified: April 19, 2007
