Manassas Journal Messenger | Virginia gets funds for signal timing
The Virginia Department of Transportation received $33.9 million in federal transportation money, including $7.1 million for signal optimization in Northern Virginia.
The signal timing money will go toward developing plans for area roads to make sure all the lights on major thoroughfares are green at the same time, said Jeff Caldwell, VDOT spokesman.
Roads that will receive signal timing plans include Va. 28, U.S. 29, Prince William Parkway, U.S. 1 and the Va. 234 bypass.
Other roads include U.S. 50, Dranesville Road, roads in Falls Church, roads in Seven Corners and roads connecting to the Capital Beltway.
The rest of the money will be spent throughout the state to inspect, repair and replace bridges and fund transit projects in Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Harrisonburg.
The federal money comes from the Federal Highway Administration, which took back money from other states that didn’t appropriate those dollars to specific projects.
The money is given to states that have used or plan to use all of their federal money, plus have unfunded projects waiting to be done.
Projects eligible for the funding are ones that were ready to move to their next phase by the end of September.
“Strong financial management has allowed Virginia to attract additional federal funding again this year,” said VDOT Commissioner David S. Ekern in a news release. “This money will help us to advance important congestion-management and bridge projects. Investing this additional federal money in these projects now frees up other money that we will use to fund other needed transportation projects in the coming years.”