Albemarle Board’s Request on 29 Bypass Study Falls Short

The Albemarle Board of Supervisors had an opportunity yesterday to begin to correct their approach to pursuing construction of the 29 bypass, but chose instead to continue rushing the project through with blinders on.

The board majority rejected a resolution (advanced by Supervisors Dennis Rooker and Ann Mallek) calling on the Virginia Department of Transportation to get vital information about the impacts of the bypass, including health impacts and an updated traffic analysis, before putting out a request for proposals from contactors.  It then rejected a revised version that would have called on VDOT to at least get the information before entering into a construction contract.  Instead, the resolution ultimately passed by the board does not ask VDOT to get the information until before construction begins.

A statement from Morgan Butler:

“The point was to make sure that the state, county and public all have a clear idea of some of the most troubling impacts of the proposal while there’s still a chance to address them-and that’s before VDOT issues a request for proposals or enters into a contract.

“But what the board majority passed was a meaningless resolution that will allow VDOT to maintain its headlong rush to enter into a contract.

“Sure, they asked for a study, but not in time for the results to likely have any meaningful influence on the project. The state’s approach here is like a train barreling down the tracks, and the board is just waving as it flies by.”