DOA? Who killed the Ruckersville Parkway?
DOA? Who killed the Ruckersville Parkway?
Just before Halloween, the specter of the long-dead U.S. 29 western bypass arose from the grave when Attorney General Bob McDonnell issued an opinion that if Central Virginians do not build the bypass, they could be forced to repay $45.5 million in state and federal funds.
That raises the question: why did the short-lived Ruckersville Parkway flat-line, when it seemed to address many of the complaints about the 29 bypass and was cheaper, more environmentally sensitive, and used bypass rights-of-way already purchased?
The parkway had the backing of elder statesman Mitch Van Yahres, a former delegate and staunch opponent of the western bypass. For Van Yahres, now two years later, the Ruckersville Parkway is but a dim memory when the issue of the 29 bypass rears its head again. "I hadn't even thought of it," he says.
Van Yahres understands why his alternative failed: "Not enough backing for it," he says. "It was a good idea, but it doesn't fit Places 29."
COVER SIDEBAR- Historical recourse: A last-ditch effort to stop Meadowcreek Parkway
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Full Stories List for November 8th, 2007 issue #0645
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COVER SIDEBAR- Historical recourse: A last-ditch effort to stop Meadowcreek Parkway
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